No Time to Waste
In 1995 Stella Chan was a new Canadian immigrant from Hong Kong and ready to work – she just couldn’t find the right opportunity. “It was tough when I first arrived,” she recalls. “I had worked with Citibank Hong Kong for seven years, and you’d think my years of experience would land me a job. The reality was, it did not.”
The person who introduced her to Primerica (her “upline”) had first approached her husband, who referred Stella. “He said, ‘I think you should give this a try. It’s in the financial arena. It could be a perfect match for you,” Stella recalls. She became pregnant that same year and joined Primerica in 1996. “I was really skeptical at first,” she recalls. “The self-employment concept is not conventional in Asia.” A serious goal-setter, Stella resolved to give the opportunity everything she had. “I told myself I would make Regional Vice President by 2000.”
Facing Adversity
But when her business was still in the early stages, the unpredictable happened: “In 1999 my son was three and diagnosed with a critical illness,” Stella says. “He had leukemia. I told my husband that I wanted to quit Primerica and stay in the hospital for his treatment, which would take three years.” That same year, Stella had the opportunity to attend a Primerica convention in Atlanta, GA, and she recalls hearing many other stories where people had faced adversity.
“People shared their stories. They worked it out,” she explains. With the support of her husband and her team, she kept her business going. “My husband said, ‘You can’t quit! Your people are counting on you.’ I remember being at the convention and crying and thinking to myself, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ My son was at the hospital and the nurses and doctors were taking good care of him. I realized, ‘I also have to take care of myself and become stronger.’”
Stella remembers alternating shifts at the hospital with her husband so that she could study, get licensed, and grow her Primerica business.
Stella’s son, Arthur, is now 16 and fully recovered, and she is so thankful that she didn’t quit Primerica during the difficult years. “Some women may think leaving their child at home is the wrong choice. They might feel guilty about it. Today I can prove to all of you, it is worth it!”
The freedom and flexibility of her Primerica business allowed Stella to continue building financial independence for her family in the midst of taking care of a sick child. By 2005 she earned her $100,000* Ring – a distinction Primerica reps receive when they cash flow at least $100,000 during a single 12-month period. In 2006 she added a second diamond – signifying a cash flow of at least $200,000 in a single 12-month period. “Sometimes life is not always as peaceful as you might think,” she says. “But you have to try your best today.”
*The cash flows stated are not intended to demonstrate the earnings of typical RVPs/representatives. Rather, the cash flows that have been cited reflect the potential that comes with building your business, and there is no guarantee that you will achieve any specific cash flow level. Most RVPs/representatives do not achieve the levels illustrated. In the 12-month period ending in December 2011, Primerica paid a total of $504,514,944 in compensation to the sales force at an average of $5,544 per licensed representative. Average RVP earnings are typically higher. Actual gross cash flow is, among other factors, dependent upon the size and scale of a representative’s organization, the number of sales and the override spread on each sale, and the ability and efforts of you and your downlines. Having said this, Primerica provides a tremendous opportunity for individuals who work hard and who desire to develop a business with strong income potential.
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