My Personal Proclamation

See, I learned something at a very young age. If you asked people who knew me growing up, they might tell you that they noticed something different about me. What I learned has manifested itself as a truth throughout my life as I put various principles into practice and worked to achieve my goals. What I learned will be present in what I write here and some may see it, some may not.

I am going to build one of the largest brokerages in San Jose. I am willing to put my reputation on the line and risk everything to do it. I want to let people know now, before I have any major successes, because I don’t want someone to be able to say that I was lucky. I want people to know that it was planned from the beginning. I have written my one page business plan. My goals may seem impossible, but they are just improbable, not impossible. My goals are meaningful specifics and I will be reviewing them often, possibly changing them and improving upon them. I have a game plan to succeed. The only question I have is “How long will it take?”

I have always been a teacher. I love to share knowledge and will continue to do so. In high school and college, I tutored others, so that I could share what I had learned. I think that if we build upon the ideas of each other, our society will benefit. I refuse to hog knowledge, even though I know knowledge is power. I have been willing to publically post my successes and failures, along with various ideas, in hopes that others will benefit.

For two years, I wrote in my blog about various topics, a majority of them being finance related. About 4 months ago, in May of 2012, I started sitting down with clients for free to offer financial advice on various topics. I did this for free because I felt I had abundance at the time and I wanted to start giving back to the community. It was during this time that I was offered a whole life insurance policy. Then, I became aware of three major disasters occurring in our society: stock market disaster (stock crashes of 2001 and 2008), real estate disaster (subprime mortgage crisis) and life insurance disaster (80% of people owning whole life policies). Three is a magic number and enough to make me devote my life to educating people about each of these areas.

Unlike most people, who get recruited by Primerica, I was looking for Primerica. As soon as I saw what the company did, I hopped on board. In my eyes, the company does 3 things as stated in their mission statement: “Help families become properly protected, debt free and financially independent.”

Before I started with the company, I did a ton of research on the company. I also interviewed clients, previous business owners and people who had been approached by business owners within the company. What I found were almost all people who know the company will say the products are great. Some struggled with the business model. For me personally, it comes down to ethics and values. On two occasions in my life, I have had to say the following: “I will not take a job, even if it means doubling my salary, if I do not believe in what I am doing.” Although, I might have profited greatly, that was that. In addition, a non-conventional business model means those that normally might struggle to find jobs can actually generate income. I’m sure some stay at home mothers could use some financial education and some extra income based on working with only two clients a year.

In high school, someone once asked me, “How are you able to stay so happy?” I responded, “Everyone has a choice. I choose to be happy.” I was fortunate to have been taught many great principles while growing up and even more fortunate to have learned many great principles throughout my life. Primerica is an interesting company that is dedicated to self-development. The interesting thing is that even with Primerica throwing out the keys to success, people can still fail. This is because people must first be open to receive before they can learn. My brother (Kevin) often says, “You can’t change people. You can only make it easier for them to change.”

Primerica offers a great business opportunity. However, this opportunity is not for the faint of heart. Only 1% of the company makes a six figure income. For everyone who starts training only 20% get licensed. Furthermore, 60% of the business is done in house. Still, if you knew what I knew, you would do this business. I know 70% of businesses fail, 90% of small businesses fail. In a calculus class I once taught, over 50% of the students either withdrew or dropped out. Unlike other businesses, this is an excellent business to fail in. Even those who fail may learn information that can save thousands, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on what they are able to pick up while they are here.

I know that the best way to learn is to do. I will partner with people and families one on one to help them succeed. However, I can only influence so many people. What I really want is a team, an army of people devoted and dedicated to financial education and bettering our society. We are swimming against the tide. We are battling advertisements and marketing agencies. We are exposing potential issues with banks, credit card companies and insurance companies. I cannot do this alone and I am willing to learn what is necessary to guide my team. I have a voice and it will be heard.

There are three articles which I have read which would deter most people. These are great articles by the way, with many truths:

• http://www.fourwinds10.net/siterun_data/business/corporate_fraud/news.php?q=1224542089
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_48_Laws_of_Power
• http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/Primerica.aspx

Even reading these, I find myself not moved but stagnant in my position. If you really look at various companies, what Primerica offers is completely opposite, like night and day, even though other companies seem to be similar on the outside. Primerica was built based on the crusade to stop life insurance companies from ripping off people, whereas some similarly structured companies continue to rip off middle class families. Years later, Primerica has expanded to include products to help people get out of debt and save for retirement. To me, this means the company has branched out to further their crusade, almost completely in line with the problems I see.

When people believe in what they do, an almost cult like organization is formed. When people have such strong beliefs and a single mission, they can move beyond their individual imperfections and work together to achieve a common goal. As people leave the organization, the crusade lives on, because at the end of the day, others still believe in the mission.

While some may be concerned about what they can get today, I like to let the marshmallow sit on the table, thinking up ways I can add more value to society. I like to build up a foundation of small bricks which will show returns in a residual fashion. I have a vision to build something great and realize it starts with the laying of a single brick. If I can build it right, it will stand forever.

Support My Mission

1. You can support my mission by visiting http://www.izuservices.com and donating. A dollar lets me know you support my mission or like my posts. Thank you for those who have already donated.

2. Donate to SAGE via http://sagescholars.berkeley.edu/. The UC Berkeley SAGE (Student Achievement Guided by Experience) is a self-funded experiential leadership program that provides education, professional development, mentoring and internships to UC Berkeley students who come from poverty and low income backgrounds. I serve on the Leadership Council for SAGE and want to help raise money for their cause.

3. Call toll-free (877) 855-8111 or log on to www.PrimericaSecure.com to save yourself some money on either your home or auto insurance policies. Be sure to use my last name (IZU) and solution number (2MTFT). PrimericaSecure automatically compares rates from multiple companies such as Progressive, Travelers, Safeco, Hallmark, etc.