Allen Foster, 39, followed his dad, John, into a lucrative career in insurance. “He raised three kids on commission-only income, had total independence and control over his time, made a darn good living…I wanted that for my family too,” shares Allen. In 1996, John was able to retire on his renewal commissions—something unheard of for…

Changing times calls for a new perspective. Imagine yourself wearing old, dirty, cracked glasses with an outdated prescription. You may think you see the world fine, but that’s because you’ve worn them for so long that you don’t even realize anything is amiss. This is the predicament for many traditional sales professionals. From insurance and…

Debbie Stocks has the right attitude. As a one-time high school French teacher turned health insurance agent, she’s preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. Like many in her industry, she’s being told that, due to health care reform, her role as a self-employed independent insurance agent is about to become obsolete. Instead…

In this current housing climate, the Stockdale Paradox especially applies to real estate agents. The Stockdale Paradox is a term coined by author Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great. It essentially goes like this: “You must retain faith that, in the end, you will prevail, but at the same time, you must confront…

There is only one way to ensure that this year ends better than the last: you must have a plan. Let’s face it. Most agents are like sailboats without a rudder, just going where the tides take them. When the sales seas were calmer and the winds of compensation were more predictable, there didn’t seem…