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Life Insurance: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Wealth (Ep. 223)
Andrew Taylor sits down with Desiree Blas to discuss how life insurance became the unexpected path to both purpose and financial success. They break down why the industry is recession-proof—having been around since before the U.S. gained independence—and why it continues to thrive today. Desiree shares how she built her business, the power of team lock-in events, and the key steps anyone can take to achieve financial freedom through insurance sales.
If you’re looking for a proven way to build wealth and create a lasting impact, join us for our 223rd video, full of tips you can act on today!
Hello everybody. Andrew Taylor here, Thank you for joining us. We have Desiree Bloss with us today.
Speaker 2:Awesome, I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 1:So I first heard you speak at the conference and I was like, oh, she's an animal. And then you came in yesterday for our team lock-in.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Can you tell everybody about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the lock-in. I honestly think getting in an environment where there are other people who are killing it will always help expedite your results. So a lot of times, like, if you're working from home, we're in a virtual business, so you're either dialing on Zoom or you're dialing by yourself, and so sometimes you're just in your head. So the number one thing is to change your trajectory, is to get in an environment with people who are crushing it. Right, you want to be around sharks. You want to be around people who have the results that you want, and that's going to always expedite your results.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now we had 300,000 in sales in two days.
Speaker 2:Crazy. We blew past that because you were like, hey, let's hit 200 in two days. Then you're like, hey, let's hit a quarter million and then boom, 300,000. Again, getting the right people in the right room will always expedite. So this is a free thing for people.
Speaker 1:So we're doing it again next month for agents that want to be around people selling, learn how to sell. I think we had 14 people write a policy for the first time.
Speaker 2:Amazing.
Speaker 1:We had one agent. Her first deal was 14K on your team, I think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she's outside right now. Oh, she is.
Speaker 1:She is. Tell us about what happened with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was honestly. She actually has been around the industry for a while, being someone, you know, someone's social media person, so she was probably tired of seeing the graphics 20,000 month, $50,000 a month and so she decided to take the leap of faith and to grow her business. And I think the number one thing that really helped her is she invested in herself. So that morning and she was kind of scared to do it, I'll admit that morning she was like she went into the ILC, she bought whatever. I think 20 leads, spent 200 bucks.
Speaker 1:IUL leads.
Speaker 2:IUL leads and called them and one call closed. The lady didn't even give her objections and I think it was like a $14,000 annual premium.
Speaker 1:And that was her first deal by herself. By herself, yes.
Speaker 2:That's amazing, yes.
Speaker 1:So that's what the lock-ins are for.
Speaker 2:They are the energy. Yeah, and she even said it too. She was like there's no way that I would have been able to do that or, like you know, had the courage to do that if I wasn't around. Other your previous trainings Like you would just be like okay, I got to dial and you would have to trick yourself to dial. But when you force yourself in that kind of environment, you're just doing what everyone else is doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and most people don't want to dial in front of people because we're all scared of what people think about us and it's like I don't want people get hung up on.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Cussed out. Yeah, You're like oh, that's kind of normal.
Speaker 2:It normalizes everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I think that's what helped me the most as a brand new agent, because I was also nervous to get on Zoom. I was one of those agents that was like in the corner, I don't want to turn on my camera. The process, and so, um, I tell a lot of new people that come in you want to embrace rejection, rejection, we're in sales, you're going to get rejected. You're going to get told no more than yes and as long as you normalize it, you tell people you set that expectation, it's, it's okay, like the top producers just get no's more than yeses. The top producers just get hung up on more than you. They get more objections, they get, um, you know, banking objections and all those different things. So if you are experiencing that and again if you're, you're feeling like you suck, you don't suck, you just got to put in more reps in Cause it's all a numbers game, all numbers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I always tell people, so I went on 10,000 appointments. That's crazy and it was like every week.
Speaker 1:it didn't matter if it was Christmas or Thanksgiving week, I would just work around those dates, those single days, to continue to work, because I never wanted to lose my momentum, because when I'd lose my momentum I'd like fall apart, right, yeah. So I would do that. But when I first started, people would tell me no. And then, after I got all these reps in, I would be so confident that I would be like, hey, um, hey, desiree, I'm your new agent and we're going to save you money on your current policy or get you one that you need to take care of your family, and when you put your head on the pillow tonight, you're going to know that you're taking care of your covered and your kids are taken care of. They'll be okay If you don't wake up, does?
Speaker 2:that sound okay. I'm in Like the confidence was just like.
Speaker 1:And people want that confidence. They don't want you to be timid.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Like, people want to be guided.
Speaker 2:Right. They like if you're confident in anything you say, obviously if it's for a good reason, they're just gonna, they're gonna believe you right. And so I love this industry too, because, honestly, sales is the highest paid occupation in America. But what vehicle are you in? I'm in a vehicle in the life insurance sector that I could truly educate and help clients, and I get paid a lot of money to do it, and I could help agents do the same thing, and there's purpose behind it. And so, like what is the statistic? It was like 50% of Americans are they have no life insurance or they're underinsured. There's so many people we could help and if you're just like super passionate about that, you'll make a lot of money as a byproduct. So I'm stoked for this industry.
Speaker 1:How long have you been doing this?
Speaker 2:Over three years now. Yeah, so my first year I was part-time because I was still doing real estate I was like super fascinated with real estate. But honestly, when I saw that my income as a real estate agent is predicated on a market right like what happened in 08, people were quitting and all that stuff, and you know, it's nice to help somebody buy their first home, but I think what's even more important is helping somebody during the worst moment of their life when their family member dies. And you could deliver that check to them and you could guide them through the process. So you could help a lot more people in life insurance faster than you can in real estate, because not many people could go a whole lifetime. They could go a whole lifetime not even purchasing a home, but everyone's going to die.
Speaker 2:Like this is a recession-proof career and every time I interview someone I have them write that down. Hey, write down recession-proof. Why is it recession-proof? Because we're all going to die. So, as morbid as it sounds, we're all going to die. We're all going to die. Anyone could be your client, from two weeks old all the way up to age 89. And we could help all the millions of Americans who are underinsured right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's huge Now, but life insurance doesn't seem like a sexy occupation.
Speaker 2:No, it doesn't sound fun, but yeah, I mean, no one ever grew up saying, hey, I want to be a life insurance agent. You just think of like people with briefcases and suits, and mainly men really.
Speaker 1:Gold watches.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, kind of open up their briefcase. They talk a little slow, you know what I mean. So, but no, we've transformed, like Family First. Life has transformed the life insurance industry. For sure, for sure, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we had Montserrat in here earlier.
Speaker 2:She's a killer, yeah, she's 22.
Speaker 1:She started last march. She issued for over 400 000 last year, starting in march yeah and she has a team doing a million a month already yeah, that's crazy I. I mean, that's just, you would never hear about that back in the day no that would be unheard of yeah and she's. There's a lot of people doing that, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's just a plug and play system too. Like you, I tell people you don't have to come in here with like talent or charisma, cause that could be you, could, you could learn that. Yeah, I'm going to say your charisma has probably grown a little bit too. I mean, I watched a lot of your podcasts and you're like, hey, I was just this guy working at the grocery store and like this is just how I am, I'm level throughout the whole day. So it's it's definitely skills that could be developed, but we're just again educating people. You don't need. It's like a no brainer sale to me. Like, hey, you want, you love your family, you want to make sure they're financially taken care of Cool, you need to get a policy, and you can get one as cheap as 50 bucks a month, 30 bucks, whatever, and so you know, normalizing that it's okay to get coverage and help your family.
Speaker 1:So you were out there calling and then everyone was like she's good, they're like listening to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You got your headset.
Speaker 2:Yep, noise canceling and like I'm walking around, I like to pace, I like to you know, like I have a standing desk, um, and obviously things have evolved over time. I usually just I had like an old laptop before when I first started, and then I made a sale and then I invested in my business. I got an iPad, then I got an extra screen, then I got a rising desk, and so, especially if this is my career, I want to get all the right supplies to make sure I can do that, but I'm always like talking, I'm like being there, I'm talking to them as if they're like my family member my mom, my grandma, my cousin, my you know my aunt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what, what is like? What has this business done for you and what have you accomplished so far?
Speaker 2:Wow, um, financially a lot. Uh, I don't, you know, I don't come from like a place of money, um, but I would say the number one thing that's really transformed is my mindset and how I carry myself, how I hold myself, what I believe in. Um, that's like the number one thing. I think I came in here most people like limited mindset, broke mindset, um, I didn't believe in myself that much. But when you're behind a group of people like I, just that our company is so amazing, we have like an amazing leader, we have you and you're just and then Marissa is freaking amazing.
Speaker 2:I'll call her and she'll. She'll check me really quick. I might complain about something and she'll just. She'll just give it to me. And you have to be around people who are transparent and honest with you. I don't like sugarcoating anything. I'm a very direct person and sometimes I need to receive that feedback too. But it's completely changed my mindset and how I hold myself and carry myself.
Speaker 2:So, um, yeah, I would say I came in here like super, maybe shy I mean I was. I was OK talking to people. But then, like, like I said, developing that confidence with the reps, like a thousand or ten thousand appointments, you're not, you don't care if someone says no, you don't care if someone slams the door on your face. I mean, you know, I remember I started in home and I would get scared to go into these trailer parks and like I'll drive into a neighborhood and I see like beware, I have a gun, or beware of dog. And I remember being that scared person.
Speaker 2:But I was like, okay, you know, god rewards courage. I know the pain that I'm in right now, living with my parents' house, you know, and they were great, but I just didn't want to be. There was more than me changing. So I had to do something. And so, if you like, zoom out and you just take an audit of your life, like what is it that you want and that you want, and here you could build your career. You have something that you stand for and I think naturally you'll just transform as a person.
Speaker 1:I like that. God rewards courage.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I think I heard that from Sean or something, and that was another thing too. My faith is has grown tremendously, just because when you start you're kind of in the unknown and you're just like I don't know what I'm doing. And just by that, like I've developed a very close relationship with God and and and that's like one of my models, like one of my core values is courage. So if I ever am making a decision and if I'm scared to do it, like this podcast, you're like, hey, you want to shoot a podcast? I'm like it's kind of nerve wracking, but sure, let's do it Right, Cause I know if I, if I'm coming against fear and I just like face it head on, something great going to happen, Right. So that's how, every time I make a decision, I'm like, okay, if I'm scared to do it, I'm just going to do it Right.
Speaker 1:Well, me and Montserrat were talking and we were like if you, if you're scared of something and you don't do it, then it's really painful because you're just like anxious about it. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But if you just do it, you're good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that was another one of my favorite sayings it's action alleviates anxiety. So I think Hermosi said this, so same thing Same thing. It's like dude, if you're anxious, there's so many options, just do something. Like if you do something productive, you're going to be fine, but if you're just sitting there twiddling your thumbs, you know what.
Speaker 1:You're going industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, your guys' motto was like run fast, break things.
Speaker 1:Move fast and break things. We've broken everything.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And then we have to go fix it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know my learning style because if I overanalyze I don't move, like analysis by paralysis. So I need to be around people who just like push me in. Like I can't dip my toe in the water, I won't go in, just freaking, push me in. That's the way that I learn, and so when new people come on, I'm like this is what you need to do. Don't think about anything else, like get comfortable on the phones and so, yeah, overthinking would would kill you, right? So here it's just. We have the same plug and play system. Just listen to the person that brought you in. Watch podcasts. I taught myself a lot from podcasts and you're going to be fine. Don't overthink it. It's very simple.
Speaker 1:It's funny, my um, my mother-in-law, just got her license. Oh, I love it and she's making sales and I love that. Like anybody can do this now, like it doesn't matter if you cause cause, you can do it remote. So and Trey Honeycutt texts me, he was like this opportunity is way better than it's ever been yeah today right like that is true.
Speaker 1:So, like, for people who want to build a big team, now's the time. Yep, if you don't do it now, you are going to miss the boat. This is the next wave of the way things work 100 but my mother-in-law was like should I, what lead should I try? And I said don't try these specific ones, because I know they're, I know they suck.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And guess what she did.
Speaker 2:What she tried, those yeah.
Speaker 1:And then she calls me and goes hey, none of them worked and all the numbers were bad. And I was like I told you, don't use that.
Speaker 2:Wouldn't you want to listen to me anyways, yeah.
Speaker 1:But let's let it's just interesting. Some people have to learn that way. But if someone were to call you and go hey, what exactly do you do? They copy you. They get to avoid all those things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, right, yeah, exactly, that's the whole point. And I tell people whenever I interview them or if they're coming on and I I like to screen people a lot because I've hired a lot of people who fell off and you have too Um, but it's, I just tell them hey, it's, it's super simple, like, all we do is we buy leads which are people who requested insurance. We dial the phone, you read from a script, like if you could read, you're fine, and then we sell insurance or we don't, and then we train. That's pretty much it. That's all we do, um, and you don't have to think about anything else.
Speaker 1:And and just, you're going to get told no more than yes, and that's pretty much it. Yeah, that's huge. So how? What was the learning transition for you, like, how long did it take you? So, jack, you always says this, he says like, and when? When he started? He came from another company and they coined him the worst person to ever work there in sales.
Speaker 2:That sucks. He's such a nice guy dude.
Speaker 1:he's amazing, yeah so he comes here and we're like, okay, let's get going. But he was like a he would stress about everything. Okay, oh, yeah, like, and the reason he was stressed is because he had a son, he has a wife and he's scared this won't work. Okay, so every week he would be like, yeah, yeah, I would doubt it, I would doubt it, I would doubt it, I would doubt it. And then he said there was this point in like like seven months in where he says he felt like he got the monkey off his back, yeah, and, and he and he could. Just he knew that if he did this activity, that the numbers would work out around this amount.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And he was no longer working, stressed out like that.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So the question is is how long did it take you to get the monkey off your back?
Speaker 2:Man, my first year I was, it was kind of a mess of things. I didn't. I didn't realize that you would think I would know because I came from another sales background. But if someone would have told me, hey, desiree, like it's okay, you're going to get. Hey, desiree, like it's okay, you're gonna get, you're gonna get a lot more no-shows. You're gonna get told no more than yes, like it's fine. But the way that you out beat that is because you're a novice, we need more leads, right, you're always gonna need more leads than you are gonna get appointments because you're gonna get no-shows. And so like if they just broke it down in a formula matter and said, hey, you don't suck, you're just new. But you could always out beat that with your activity and with obviously it's the law of large numbers, so making sure you have enough leads and as you continue to put in more reps, your skill level will also increase and then you're going to get better and better and you're going to get more confident.
Speaker 2:So it probably took me when I realized I bought more leads, I was making more sales. I was like, oh my gosh, it's just a numbers game. So maybe my first year, but my first year I was very part-time, I was very half in, half out and my mindset was developing at the same time. So it did take me a little bit. But that's why, when new people come in, we just normalize it. Hey, you're going to suck Like it's okay. You're going to get told no, people are going to no show. You just keep going and just keep you know, keep the numbers in your favor, favor, have more leads, book more appointments, and then you learn as you go.
Speaker 2:So the monkey off the bat, maybe my first year, but I was just like going blind. I was just like I'm just going to call people, I'll read the script. I didn't even practice the script. I was like it sounds easier than real estate. I'm just going to do it and I'm just like a go with the flow of person. But now when people come in, it's like more calculated. I'm like, hey, you're going to suck Like you're going to get hung up on people. Are you handle that? Yes, and we just set up the right expectations. That's huge, yeah, now, uh, marissa calls you dez yes is that what you go by dez?
Speaker 2:or did she just make that up? She just made it up? I think yeah, she does okay, so she.
Speaker 1:So she gave you the nickname dez. What's your team doing right now?
Speaker 2:about 100 a month 100, 150.
Speaker 1:And what do you do yourself?
Speaker 2:Uh, 20 to 30. Um, I mean, with IULs now probably going to be 40 to 50. Yeah, I just recently transitioned, maybe a couple months ago, into IULs.
Speaker 1:What's your favorite lead type?
Speaker 2:IULs for sure.
Speaker 1:It's the best right. It's the best why.
Speaker 2:Um, it just, it protects the client. And three like we even have this here, this puzzle piece.
Speaker 1:if you're looking at it, I brought that up on the last one. Tell me about the puzzle piece.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay. So it protects you in three different ways always. But what's really cool is you could customize it so, like the fad. Now what everyone's seeing online is like hey, be your own bank, tax-free retirement, all this other stuff. But for somebody who knows nothing about insurance, you get a permanent death benefit. If you qualify, you get living benefits. And I say this to clients too. It's like hey, john, here is your death benefits, the purple section. I'll break it down and I show them a little picture. And if you do not die but something crazy happens to you, okay, because there's a lot of people just think of life insurance as death insurance. But if you don't die and something happens you get a heart attack, stroke, cancer, you become disabled you would have access to the death benefit while you're alive, unlike other products out there. Okay, so when you have a death benefit, that will always be there for your wife or whoever insert beneficiary's name. Number two if you don't die but some illness happens, right, I'm sure you know someone who's had a can't, who had cancer before.
Speaker 1:Too many people.
Speaker 2:Too many people. You have access to this too, to make sure you could continue to pay your bills. And then the third thing is it's going to be growing you cash value over time and you'll never you'll never lose money, right, and the market goes, and we all know the market's going to go up and down. You'll never lose money and you could access this tax-free, without penalty.
Speaker 1:It's like you being your own bank, right, but again it's, it's really hard to get approved for and then I kind of move on from there, right, yeah. So, yeah, the. There we go, three pieces. So my brother-in-law a few years ago he had a headache went to the doctors. They or went to the er because his headache was pounding like where, like he couldn't sit up. They do a bunch of scans.
Speaker 1:They find out he has a tumor in his brain oh, and he's like 40 years old and perfectly fine okay that is scary, he has a tumor in his brain. He has to go get surgery. They biopsy. It's cancer which, like brain cancer, is terrifying right um, he's got to go through surgery. Thank God he actually survived everything and is cancer free. Wow, but he has to go through chemo radiation and actually have it removed from his brain. If he would have, if he were to have this, which is my fault, he did not have it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right.
Speaker 1:Then he could have accessed all that money.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's like you just never know and like what would that have done for stress, the psychological right, what you go through psychologically, going through that. And he and it was crazy because this was during covid, so no one was allowed to go in the hospital with him, he had to do all of his treatments by himself. And then the crazy thing that he said to me, which really messed me up, is he's like dude, yeah, I was scared, but there was kids in there and they couldn't have their parents come in because, of covid.
Speaker 1:So he's like I'm talking to kids going through the same stuff I'm going through. I'm like yo, life is crazy but these things can help and like I've heard a few stories of people where they're like I was able to take the money and get treatment that I couldn't have gotten without the money, and it actually helped save my life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's. Do you know how much all his medical bills were?
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:No, you should definitely ask him. That's crazy. I also have a friend who he had cancer at a young age and he had to go through chemo and radiation and his medical benefits at his job would only cover him if he was still working. So he was undergoing treatment and still working at his job and he worked for a school district. So you would think, oh, like people think, oh, the state has me, you know, the government, my government job has my back. But he wouldn't, wouldn't have been able to for that. But he still had to work while he was undergoing treatment, like going through cancer and stuff.
Speaker 2:So it's kind of crazy, these things like getting a policy now, this is, this is the time to start. So, and then going off of what you just said too, because if I have new agents that come on and they might not have enough money to invest in themselves, I'd ask them. I was like, hey, you know, what we do is really important. Is it going to be hard for you to go talk to your family and friends? And they'll say, oh, like you know, and I'm hey, I don't want to work with someone who doesn't believe in this product. So, and the last thing you would want is for I say this to them for a family member to die and you didn't tell them. You had told no from strangers. So like the least you could do is start with like just educating your family and friends, and so that's, that's big. I'm glad he's, your family members alive.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, no, I mean, if people want to fund their business. So I was attracted to Family First Life, because you could use leads and you don't have to talk to your friends and family to stay in business. Right, but you still should not be a secret agent.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Because you can help them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and when I started I didn't have enough money for leads. So what I did do and if I was not in this industry I would have never known my parents didn't have any insurance Like I would have never been educated enough to even think I've been to a bunch of funerals and I didn't know how much they cost and I was like, well, I was like in my mid twenties and I still didn't know how much death was. So when I didn't have money for leads, I went and I made a way and I just talked to my family. I was like yo, dad, do you have insurance? You don't have any insurance, holy crap.
Speaker 2:And so what I did was I helped my dad get insurance, my mom, my grandma, who was in her 70s she had no freaking insurance my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, and I was just like so thrilled that I was able to help them and, like, educate them, get them coverage, because I was also living with my parents at the time.
Speaker 2:My dad was the primary income earner, my mom didn't work. If something happened to him we would lose the house and I was broke so like I wouldn't have been able to help. And so it was just such a blessing, in disguise, that I didn't have enough money for leads, and it forced me to go educate and help my families, cause then I took that lump sum of money, whatever I made in commissions, and I jumpstarted my business with it. So do not be scared to educate your family and friends, cause I would. I would say the biggest thing is I would hate myself if I did not help that family member, if they died and I was at their funeral just because I was like I just have to let them know, let them make an informed decision, let them say, no, I don't want it, and I would sleep well at night, but the least you could do is just tell the people you love and care about, yeah, A hundred percent, and that can help fund you helping other people.
Speaker 1:A hundred percent, yep, because now, what do most people do, though, when they start to get insurance commissions and they're like, whoa, this is nice. What do they usually?
Speaker 2:time off or go to Disneyland or spend it.
Speaker 1:I'm going to Disneyland next week, yeah.
Speaker 2:You can at this point.
Speaker 1:But, like at first, they spend it right. Spend it, yep, but this is a if. If anyone's watching this, you take anything from this.
Speaker 2:reinvest it. Why yes? Because we again, we have a license to print money, but your your skill level that you'll develop here, your ROI will always be high. So invest in your business and you'll always earn more out of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, we always we have to say not everybody can do this and we have to, and there is a turnover rate.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like people quit. How many people quit on you Like, if you bring?
Speaker 2:10 people in.
Speaker 1:They get their license. How many quit?
Speaker 2:I don't know, maybe eight, five. I mean now I'm pretty like thorough with my, my like interview process, but even if somebody comes in, I'm like, oh my gosh, that guy's going to be a killer, which I don't do anymore. Cause actions speak louder than words and I just learned this from like I think it was yours or Sean's training. It was like the real interview or the real interview is two weeks in after your license, like, what kind of action is going to follow behind what you've been saying?
Speaker 2:And I'm a very actions over words type person because I've been screwed before because people quit, um, but you're right, this is not meant for. This is not meant for people with a weak mindset who don't have thick skin, like anyone could do this. But 96% of people what quit in this industry because they can't handle sales. They don't believe in themselves. And I tell people hey, if you believe in yourself and you could invest in yourself and you believe in the product, you're going to be fine, right.
Speaker 2:The three things that I tell people. These are the three things I'm looking for. One you have to have a very hard work ethic, and someone said this I think it was you. I like I'm going to steal this bulletproof work ethic. Whoever said that? I was like you have to have a bulletproof work ethic. Number two you have to have a positive attitude. We deal with so much rejection from clients, like I don't want any complaint, like no complaining at all, no negative energy around the culture, so you always have to have a positive attitude. And then, number three this is like my favorite thing I would love to work with you if you're coachable, like I want to work with someone who's coachable and teachable. If you have those three things, you're going to do fine. And I didn't say talent, I didn't say charisma, I didn't say social skills, like cause, we just read from a script and you just help people.
Speaker 2:But, how do you like, how do you identify someone who you think would do good? Um, I would just I like to ask them like hey, and I got this from sean, this is why it's so, it's so cool to go around.
Speaker 1:Everybody steals everything.
Speaker 2:I stole everything from someone, they stole it from somebody, yeah I like to to work with people who've been through crap, because it shows me that if that was the hardest thing that you've been through, you're not going to quit. If someone hangs up on you on the phone, like it's hard for me to work with somebody who cries about things because, oh, someone hung up on me and that's normal. But I'm like, hey, this is how it's going to be. Like, do not work with me if you think you're going to quit in the next two weeks because you get hung up on, like you have to have delayed gratification here and because it's based off your skillset. You are new, it's you're going to suck the first couple. Maybe you might make your first sale, but you still have a skill to develop and that's going to take what 10,000 hours to master a skill, whatever that statistic is. And so I just I lay that down for people but I really want to work with somebody who's coachable, with a strong freaking mindset and who's been through crap.
Speaker 1:So funny that you bring this up. So sean was in here last night we were talking and I was saying like I think I was the underdog when I started because I didn't like, I didn't have anybody helping me. I was working at the grocery store, raised by a single mom, and he's like dude, you, you think you were the underdog, but you were actually the favorite yeah because he's like because the underdog has to learn how to survive, right?
Speaker 1:and then the person that they're not they. They think they're the favorite, they have everything given to them and they're set up. He's like they don't have to learn to survive.
Speaker 2:They're actually the underdog yeah so I'm like dude, that's mine's, mine, yeah yo, so the underdog is the favorite yeah, because we we love seeing people who've been through hard things, because this is not hard, it's the person that comes in here.
Speaker 2:They're like oh, I don't want to call people. Oh, they hung up on me. Oh, I almost got a sale, and this is hard. Then, like cool, go work for somebody else, like I would. Someone said this to me I don't even know if they were joking, but I didn't take offense to it. But they were like oh, you left your nine to five to work 24 seven. And I'm like hell yeah, because I would much rather work 24 seven for myself than somebody else's business. So, um, and that's what you'll do here. You have to develop your business in yourself and, and, just like you, you're going to Disneyland. But you worked so hard for so many more years so you and your family could be at where. Where you're at, we could work anywhere.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we don't have to go. We don't have to work for corporate america for 30 to 40 years for some pension or like a 401k. That's gonna run out of money and you're gonna get taxed on it and social security's not paying anyone. So yeah you know what I mean. So it's like you could grind really, really hard here for a fraction of that time and set your family up for the rest of their life.
Speaker 1:It's just going to require just some delayed sacrifice, that's it yeah, yeah, but you kind of learn that the happiness is actually the like building things yeah, working yeah, working. And then the other thing, though, like that is equally as good as the money is being around.
Speaker 2:All the people yes, your environment is key. There's that one statistic. It's like you are the five people you hang around with which is so cool, or like the statistic about A, b and C players. I don't know if you've heard of that one.
Speaker 2:It's like they say if you're around an A player, like a top producer or whatever, your performance and hopefully I don't butcher this, but your performance increases by 15%. If you're just around a group of people top performers if you're around B players or C players, your performance decreases by 30%. So I'm always very, very cognizant of like who am I around? Like stay the hell away from, you're negative, I don't want to talk to you. Like family members, friends, whoever like done. Like I have to protect this because this business is just this right and so actively like going through your mindset. But, yeah, being around top producers, your performance is going to increase, naturally, just by proxy. And then B and C players are like uh, if you notice your performance is going down, you're around the wrong people. So, yeah, get around the right people.
Speaker 1:That's so huge. That's big. Now, what do you do? You work out early, do you like? What's your schedule?
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh my gosh. Well, we're in the 75 hard chat, so we're like day 31 and 75 hard.
Speaker 2:My goodness, it's been such a. It's not even a fitness challenge. If you guys aren't familiar with 75 hard, go listen to the podcast. It's more of a mental challenge, which is by nature, really good for this industry that we're in Cause we're all about mindset, um, but yeah, no, I work out in the morning, uh, before I do anything else at five or 6 AM, so, like Lonnie is here with me and she's local here and that's my outdoor walk, so what are you seeing out there late night on the strip?
Speaker 1:Anything interesting.
Speaker 2:No, just cool stuff. I mean, I don't know, I'm from. Washington and I don't really live in the parts. So yeah, I haven't seen anything super crazy yet. But yeah, 75 hard I've been doing that. That's been amazing. Again, mental challenge meant to be inconvenient while you have a busy schedule. But yeah, I'll wake up, I'll work out, you know, meditate, pray and then just get after it in the at the office and then finish at like seven, eight o'clock at night.
Speaker 1:So what's meditate and pray? Look like Like. Is it like a time you spend 10 minutes?
Speaker 2:Yeah, 10 minutes something super short, um, and just like super intentional, um. Again, my faith is like a really big part of like what I do now.
Speaker 1:Has it always been.
Speaker 2:No, it was like me starting this career, like being at rock bottom, being super uncertain and for whatever reason, like it. Just, I grew up Catholic. So, uh, catholicism was just like what I was forced to do. Like my grandma was like you're going to church? Like I was around a strict household and she was like, if you don't go to church, you're grounded. So like I was for I don't know if you guys are familiar with Catholicism yeah, she was hardcore. Um, even now she's like why are you going into a Christian church? You should go to a Catholic church.
Speaker 2:But anyways, I was forced to like go to Catholic every like mass and stuff and it's very traditional. And then I just was not like I knew God was there, but I wasn't like super close to God. And then in my adult life, when I was going through a lot of hard things and part of it was this industry because I was just so unsure I wasn't confident in myself. Were you scared? Yeah, super scared. Yeah, I was just like, well, I knew I was going to do it, but I just I was scared of the unknown, yeah. And then so, like naturally, when I would go in home, cause I started off in home and I would drive super far and I was like I don't even know if this works and for whatever reason.
Speaker 2:During those like low points, when I just was so unsure, I developed like a close relationship with God and, you know, got baptized and all that stuff. So that helped me praying. It's just like you know, being grateful and other people. It doesn't matter what your faith is. If you start with gratitude, the rest of your day is going to be it. Just take five minutes. There's literally studies on it, like science. If you don't believe in God, like, go look up the data. Like there's data on, like starting like five things you're grateful for. I have a roof over my head, like you know, I'm.
Speaker 1:I can breathe.
Speaker 2:Yes, I could breathe.
Speaker 1:So Eric Thomas, one of the speakers at the conference.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's awesome.
Speaker 1:I got to talk to him the other day on the phone and he was like, dude, sounds like you've been pretty successful. And I said, yeah, now the goal is to not mess it up. And he goes. Oh, that's actually harder than being successful in the first place and he goes. A bunch of people that I work with. One of them was super, uh successful making money hand over fist, but he had a sex addiction and he ended up losing his wife and kids so and then he was like and then his business, something happened in business.
Speaker 1:And then now he's back on his mom's couch, dang, and he's like and now I'm working with him to get him back. Yeah, but I was like yo, that is crazy. But he made this post. I want to pull this up real quick. Okay, I love it. Hold on, let me see if I can find it, because it's pretty powerful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they say it doesn't matter how much money you make, because if you're not right here and you don't really have some purpose behind it, you're going to lose it all.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure. Let me see if I can find this, though. It's basically a dude that's driving a Ferrari and he's looking up at a helicopter and he's saying I wish I had a helicopter. And then there's a person in a car next to the Ferrari that's looking at the Ferrari going.
Speaker 1:I wish I had a nicer car. And then there's a person on a bike that is, uh, looking at the person in the crappy car and he's like I wish I had a car. And then there's a dude at the bus stop who's sitting there looking at the person in the crappy car and he's like I wish I had a car. And then there's a dude at the bus stop who's sitting there looking at the dude on the bike, who's like I wish I had a bike. And then there's a dude in a wheelchair who's?
Speaker 1:looking at the dude and at the bus stop going, I wish I could walk and it's just like. I mean, it just goes back to that gratitude thing you're talking about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's huge. You're going to keep chasing after things and there's this saying I forget what. It's actually a book. It's called the gap and the gain and it talks about that. It says you're always kind of looking for the next big thing, that you forget what you gained. And if you just have that equilibrium of like hey, I'm here now and I know I want that thing, but I'm so grateful for what I, hey, I'm here now and I know I want that thing, but I'm so grateful for what I, you know, the old me you know versus like future self type of thing, and so it's like a little psychological book that goes over that there's an agent here and he's like he gets paid a good amount of money and he was complaining that it wasn't more.
Speaker 1:And I was like, dude, when you met us, think about where you were compared to where you are now. When you met us, think about where you were compared to where you are now. And he goes. When I met you, I would have killed somebody to have what I have now yeah, and.
Speaker 2:I'm like dude, it's so easy to take it all for granted, cause it's like you've come so far, yeah, and it's it's a big perspective. Like all you need to do is get around the right perspective. Like Marissa actually helped me with this when I called her the other day and she said this and it really like stuck with me, so like being here, super grateful to be here, cause I used to watch your podcast, crying in the car going in. I wasn't crying, but I was just like, oh my God, I used to watch, turn on your podcast, and now I'm sitting here. So hopefully I helped somebody.
Speaker 2:But she said, cause I have a really close relationship with her, she was like Des, you don't want the information to be so available to you that you take it for granted. Like don't lever, like you know, cause I could call her anytime, but I'm like so in my own head trying to fix things. Like I you know I could call her up and she could help me, but the information is so available to us that we don't want to take it for granted. So people in this office who have access to you or me calling up Marissa and stuff is just like just remember, like where you are now and don't be afraid to ask for help Right, and never take that for granted.
Speaker 1:So that's powerful. So if someone wanted to work with you, how could they reach you?
Speaker 2:Instagram, tiktok, just DesireeBloss. I think is my Instagram. You just search Desiree Bloss or my number. I don't know if I should put it up on the podcast, but yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, my number is 253-273-4446.
Speaker 2:Text me yeah.
Speaker 1:Text and you can get in licensing, you can start, you can train them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, I'm big on that. Get them plugged in.
Speaker 1:Yep, but the weird thing is, as I said, insurance, life selling life insurance isn't sexy, but it actually is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's cool, you can be on the beach, you can be. You just need a laptop and a like wi-fi. Go to freaking starbucks and sell a policy like that's all. You need laptop, wi-fi and a phone, fully mobile. Yeah, fully mobile. Like when I was talking to montserrat, she, she like, sold I don't know eight deals and did 18 000. And she's so simple.
Speaker 2:She doesn't have a speed dialer, she has a spreadsheet and she hand dials from her phone and I was just like I tell new people you don't have to over complicateate it, just dial from your freaking phone. It's super simple, right? But there are some people like, oh, I need this, I need to get that, and they overcomplicate things.
Speaker 1:Well, trey just said to me the other day he was like you know that some of these auto contact programs are hurting the agent.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because they don't work, right Like the agent doesn't work.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:They want that their system to text. The person schedule the appointment and they just want to lay up.
Speaker 2:So they're just like back to basics.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sometimes you just go back to basics and it's like whoa that makes a huge difference. Yeah, or even like triple dialing, like some people are scared of triple dial, but I'm like all of this is part of a process because the faster you do that and you get hung up on you're like developing that thick skin. So don't like try and hide with all the different systems Like start with a dial the phone, aim for 40 to 60 dials per hour, tracking your stuff Right, and you have to learn that before you start getting automations and all that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I agree yeah.
Speaker 1:That's huge. Now, what is really motivating you Like? What's your goal?
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, Like. Why do I like push?
Speaker 1:super hard, Like why are you so motivated to do this?
Speaker 2:I think it stems down to, you know, core values, like my core values. Like I said, the first thing we talked about was courage, so I always want to do, you know, courageous things or whatever you know, integrity. And then growth. I love growing, I love being, or like I love listening to podcasts, reading books I mean audio books, or whatever. I listen to a podcast a day just because, again, like what I said, you need perspective shift.
Speaker 2:But I think the biggest thing is and I've heard this on a podcast, so everything I'm saying I'm like duplicating from other things that I've heard, but I just don't want to go at the end of my life and like not reach my full potential. So, like, there are some days where I'm like, you know, I'm like tired, but I'm like, okay, what would future me do? Right, I just want to be the best version of myself that I could be to any person that I interact with, any person that I talk to, and I just, you know, if I, you know, at the end of my lifetime, I want God to be like, hey, that's exactly what I want and wanted you to do, yeah, Do you ever?
Speaker 1:does doubt, ever creep in.
Speaker 2:All the time, all the time and what's your?
Speaker 1:what do you do?
Speaker 2:I think, like doing things like 75 hard, just doing what you say you're going to do, will have yourself trust you more that the doubt is just blocked.
Speaker 1:Because you know your willpower.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and willpower is a muscle Like it's. You have to exercise it all the time. So when you don't want to pick up the phone and dial, you have to do the hard things. There's literally there's this. Really, I have to send you this podcast. Maybe you heard it, but it was uh Goggins and David Goggins and uh Andrew Huberman, the neuroscientist, and there's like this part of your brain it's. It's small, but every time you do things that you do not want to do, it grows. So there's like because I love like logical stuff too- and like so.
Speaker 2:But if you've come across something, andrew, and you don't want to do it, that thing shrinks which, is like everything good for me yes, exactly and so if you're like a science person, like listen to that podcast because it's going to force you to do hard things. But yeah, just like always, you're always going to have doubts. You're always going to have another naysaying voice in your head, just freaking. I think Andy Frisella says this. He calls it the bitch voice.
Speaker 2:Like shut that thing up and like, go. And that's why you have to do the hard things, because that voice will show it up with activity. Yes, 100% yeah. And I would say too, like, and you're naturally right, we have 60 to 70,000 thoughts a day and you have 95% of those thoughts are the same thoughts you've had the day before yesterday. So if you want to change, you have to actively, intentionally do so. Right, and 80% of those thoughts are negative because we're wired as negative human beings.
Speaker 2:So if of those thoughts are negative, because we're wired as negative human beings, so if I know I wake up, I'm already like set to be negative what am I going to do? I'm going to be around great people, positive people. I'm going to listen to podcasts. I'm going to shut the like that bitch voice up, right, and so I'm. I'm always ahead of that. Like I know, I'm going to have negative. It's just naturally.
Speaker 2:I'm why everybody has it we're all wired to be, and if you once you're aware of that, you could do something about it.
Speaker 1:So like it starts with awareness yeah, if you're aware, if you're aware of it, you could be like I don't even need to pay attention to it yeah, yeah, yeah and I'm gonna go call these people do these things work out be around good people who believe in you right and like that circle of people and then fly like.
Speaker 2:That's why I flew to nevada, because I was like, okay, cool, I need to get around top dogs I need to get. Yeah, exactly like.
Speaker 1:People are always like oh, you built this big team like you must have everything figured out. I'm like dude. I still have to get around people to.
Speaker 1:Because I want the, because it's contagious like winning is contagious, so I want to be around other people that are winning constantly because it's making me better, even you coming in here, and I've asked everybody, almost everybody that's come in here, what their morning routine is, and like 90 of them are like I meditate, pray, work out in the morning, right, like 90 of them. Yeah, uh, matt spaulding has like this breathing technique that he does which I, I tried, which I'm like dude, I actually felt really good doing it?
Speaker 2:Is it like the one you breathe through your nose and a bell goes off and you breathe out?
Speaker 1:So it's called the Wim Hof breathing method.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm down to try that. See, I'm like hey, let's.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you breathe in and out as hard as you can 30 times and then on the last breath you let all your air out and you hold your breath. Yeah, so I could hold my breath for like a minute at that, but he does three minutes because he's probably been doing it for a while. He does it every day geez, and then you repeat that three times and he does it.
Speaker 2:How long is that exercise total it's like eight minutes or like five minutes freaking.
Speaker 1:Start your day maybe eight for him because he could hold his breath longer, like it's like five minutes, I think, for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But like I listened to all this stuff, I'm like, oh, that's cool. And then you also hear like everybody's going, everybody, most people have similar doubts that they overcome, similar fears, that they overcome similar things that they overcome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but the overcome similar things that they overcome, yeah, but the thing is you're gonna have to overcome it. Like it's gonna be hard, but if you get around the right people, and I also think too, like, don't overthink things, because you need to take action. Because, like you could come in here, you're gonna get overwhelmed. You're gonna get overwhelmed with what breathing exercise do I do? How do I pray? How do I meditate? Just do it. Just do it. Just five minutes. Start with. If five minutes is too long, start Hit me up. Hey Des, what? What? Like, what do you pray about? Or what do you do? Or you know what I mean. Or what breathing exercise or what podcast do you listen to? Like message, people ask for help. Don't just give up.
Speaker 2:So there's, there is a lot of information, but just do it right. There's like massive activities, what's going to get you to where you need to go? Right, because you could read all this stuff. And I think tony robbins says this. He's like knowledge, not because people say knowledge is power, but it's like no knowledge is potential power, because power lies within execution. Like you will never win if you do not take action. So if you're listening to this and you're like oh, I don't know what to do, like just freaking. Start like reach out to your manager, reach out to me, and like just do it, just get your license just get your freaking license.
Speaker 2:It's like such a fraction of a cost. Like I tell people, my real estate license was harder, it was more expensive. You don't have to go to a bank to get a business loan to start this business right. You don't have to go to college and spend a bunch of student loans and like not waste but use four to six years and you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:And you don't even need an LLC.
Speaker 2:You don't, you really don't. It's so easy, guys and like just just get your license. Cause, like, if you have a heart to serve people and you want to educate people and you don't want to be working for another employer, you don't want be labeled $15 an hour, $20 an hour, $50 an hour, you get to dictate that. Get your freaking license today, yesterday, right.
Speaker 1:I can't believe someone said that to you. You quit your nine to five, so you could join 24.
Speaker 2:So someone said that and I was like I was taken aback and I was like, yeah, I wouldn't have it any other way, though, like that's not technically true, Like you can you, you now you.
Speaker 1:You now control your schedule a hundred percent.
Speaker 2:I just want to work. I want to continue to work hard. Yeah, I love what I, I love it. Yeah, so have you been able to save money? Yeah, so you make money, save money, reinvest Yep, I have an office in Washington. I'm I was actually thinking of I don't know. I'm saying this out loud.
Speaker 1:I kind of want to move here so.
Speaker 2:I might go look at some homes. I don't know, I haven't bought my first home yet, but I heard the market here is, you know it's growing. I think I was talking to Steven Yee. He was like yo, my house doubled in like two years or something. I was like, okay, I'm going to, you know, I might go look at some homes, so we'll see.
Speaker 1:Everything that I make.
Speaker 2:I dump back into the business, we from California, right? Yeah? Yeah, I mean, it's not that far either, but it's only a two hour flight, so hopefully, I mean I'm going to manifest it, you know so my friend was like dude, you're the best recruiter ever.
Speaker 1:You have so many people moving to Vegas.
Speaker 2:I was like I.
Speaker 1:I'm not trying to.
Speaker 2:I'm just yeah, trying to. I'm just yeah, people will follow you. Yeah, where you go. He was like.
Speaker 1:That's why you're a good recruiter, because you're not trying to yeah, I'm like well, I'm throwing it out there, but yeah, no, it's fun here.
Speaker 2:I'm excited.
Speaker 1:I also do that with recruiting in the business, though I just throw it out there yeah, I'm like, hey, yeah, it is.
Speaker 2:I don't chase after people. Um, obviously we used to when we started, like oh, this guy's in coursework, and now I like I have zero energy to chase after people. Like I'm looking for self-motivated people, self-starters, resourceful people. Don't ask me questions when the answer's right in front of you or you're going to like fail in this business. And I say that and you kind of like scare them away a little bit. Like hey, only looking for hardworking people. Like if that's new, you could I'll say this.
Speaker 2:I'll say hey, andrew, after I go through my whole spiel, I'll say hey, so on a scale of one to five, okay, one is like you don't want to do insurance anymore, you don't? You're not sure about getting your license. Maybe you think I'm a little weird, you're out of one. Five is like, hey, let's get rocking and rolling today. I need to get licensed. Like want to work with committed people. So at the end of my interviews, I only help them get the coursework if they're a five out of five. And so that's how I like like to screen people out, cause I'm like if you're not committed now, you're not going to get committed later, and this is not for uncommitted people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's huge. Well, um, I think you're a beast.
Speaker 2:Thanks. I'm so grateful to be here because I would listen to these podcasts and, and you know, take down notes and rewind it. And I have like YouTube premium because it's YouTube University. I have downloaded videos that I re-watch all the time and so if you guys think I'm on here and I'm like magical, I'm really not. I like we all put on our pants the same way I'm like I just am hungry to get better. I want to get better than I was the day before and as long as you have that you versus you mentality right, because naturally people compare themselves to other people, but if you're like you can't, you'll fail every time, you'll never be happy, yeah and I still I find myself doing it, so I'm not perfect.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh, gotta redirect, gotta remember where I was before and go back to gratitude, right so thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you for coming in.
Speaker 2:I think you're a big part of this new wave of what we're doing at ffl.
Speaker 1:I'm excited, yeah, and we're glad to have you. Thank you again. Thank you for joining. If you're watching, give des a call and let's uh, let's, get you going let's crush it, let's go.