Samantha  graduated from college with high hopes and expectations for her bright future. She was entertaining a few different options for career paths, but settled on insurance, something in this industry just clicked with her so she gave it a go. She worked at Bankers Life for 2 and a half years, moving from the trainee to the trainer and quickly into management.

Pictured: Samantha Katchen, Emma Bradford

Pictured: Samantha Katchen

"After the first six months, I began training new agents how to connect with clients and run their business. After about a year, I was running a team of 10 agents under me while still maintaining my own business. Keeping up with current clients, reaching out and finding more people who needed help, and managing a team of agents taught me so much."

Pictured: Samantha Katchen

After being in the business for about three years, Sam started noticing something. There were more options in the market with other companies that her clients were asking about. At Bankers Life she was only able to offer certain products, this is what is called a captive agency. Over time as she build up a larger client base, she started thinking more about her clients, and realizing that there may be better options!

"I knew what I knew at Bankers Life, and did not look into other options. I quickly realized that people were knowingly playing much higher premiums for their policies than they needed to, just because they wanted to work with me. If people were going out of their way to do this and they really liked my service, I really wanted to make sure that I was doing the best thing out there for them. Not just within my company, but the best solution available in the market place."

Pictured: Samantha Katchen, Chris Yokley

Now I Realize 

Before when Samantha would meet with clients, she would go into an appointment with the mindset of closing business that day. It was much simpler than what she is doing now, but simple does not mean better. The easy solution is often masked as the best, when in reality sometimes it is better to look at various options, discuss them with clients, and see what they feel comfortable with considering needs, budget, and health.  Previously, if someone wanted a certain product but they couldn't qualify... I was unable to help them. Where now, I am able to help anyone find a solution for their specific needs, regardless of health background. ​ ​

Pictured: Samantha Katchen, Matt Ruddick

Pictured: Samantha Katchen, Emma Bradford

"I now take the time to get to know my clients personally, and really understand their whole situation. I then go back to my office and team, do research and find unique solutions. It feels good to have been changing lives and helping so many more people now."

It Takes Awhile

Pictured: Emma Bradford, Maggie Garcia, Chris Yokley, Samantha Katchen

Being in the insurance industry is a career path that takes time. Many people, when they first start out expect to be successful and make a significant amount of money right away. Unfortunately, this is not that kind of business. It is important to build a good rapport with clients, learn the sales process, and understand your product portfolio. You must put the time in that it requires to be successful.

"Looking back now I would encourage anyone that is in the insurance industry to open your eyes. There is more out there than you think and you only know what you know. Do not have your blinders on and do your due diligence and research. Someone shared an analogy with me once, and I would like to share it with you. You see someone digging in the sand with a small shovel. You have a big shovel. That other person is doing fine with their small shovel, they are getting by...but imagine how much more efficacy they would be if they had the bigger shovel. Always be looking for the bigger shovel."

Pictured: Mike Rice, Samantha Katchen, Emma Bradford

"Loving what you do, who you work with, and being in the right environment makes all the difference." 

Now is the time

Often times, purchasing life insurance is not viewed as a priority to some clients. There was once a client I met with who understood that he needed life insurance but was more focused on pressing financial needs. For whatever reason he decided to put a hold on moving forward with the life insurance policy he wanted. Unfortunately when he passed...his wife and daughters were still left with having to deal with the mortgage while also dealing with the loss of their father and husband. They were left trying to put together the pieces of the families finances. They were used to him providing for them financially. Now they are trying to figure out how to make ends meet.

Peace of mind 

Single parents have a difficult job. They are responsible for driving their children to various events, making sure they are doing their homework, and financially providing for them. One of my clients is a single mom. She had prepared a will, insuring that when she passed her estate would be handled the way that she wished. The only thing that her estate planning was missing was life insurance.  She expressed to me how she felt after putting life insurance in place to financially protect her four children. ​ "Having the the comfort of knowing, should something happen to me...the kids would be taken care of financially."

Health matters

Many people think that they are too old to put life insurance in place. There is always the excuse of being too this, or too that. Sometimes people are unable to health qualify for the life insurance plan that they want. You can still be young and have health issues and not be able to get the plan you want. It isn't so much that you cant get it...it just becomes more expensive.  If your health prevents you from getting a regular policy that will pay out immediately, you might have to go a different route. You can still get it but the insurance companies will only offer you a special policy where there is a 2 or 3 year waiting period until the full benefit is paid out. Should something happen after that, only then will the insurance company pay the full benefit.

Getting your life insurance through work 

This is a personal story, about my family and I. There was a time where my wife had life insurance through her job.  Unfortunately, her department went through a significant downsizing. Nine out of thirteen people in her department were let go. The moment that they were let go, all of their benefits stopped that same day as well. So at that time my wife was left without any life insurance. It just so happens that we also had an 18 month old child, and my wife was six months pregnant with our next child. She was very worried about not having life insurance and did not want to leave my son and I in a situation where I would be trying to figure everything out after a loss and organizing the finances myself. That was a huge lesson learned for us, to not have all of your eggs in one basket. From then on we made sure to have separate stand alone policies separate from our jobs, that we control ourselves.

Financial Protection

Personally, I find comfort in knowing if something should happen to me, my wife is taken care of. My children will be provided for. It is one thing for a family to have to deal with the grief of a loss one, but on top of that trying to figure out how to take care of the day to day financial things. How to pay for the mortgage, how to get the kids into school, pay for clothes, utilities, and all of those other things. I know that my family will go through enough grief trying to deal with the loss, that I don't want to add onto that by not having financial protection. It is my job as a husband and a father to not only provide for my family while I am here but to do so as well when I am gone. I want to make sure that my wife and children have as much protection as possible. That is what life insurance means to me!

What does life insurance mean to you?

April 2018

At Illinois State University I was a part of a few student run organizations where most of my peers were also graduating. They were all sharing stories of how many companies they applied for, and how they were going to be a part of an awesome company in an unbelievable building, with a pretty simple ladder of success to follow. I watched them get so excited about the possibility of getting the position, and then become so disappointed when it did not come though. This process repeated over and over again until they ended up getting a job they were okay with, where someone would tell them how much they were worth. ​

Pictured: Dave Wagner, Mike Rice, Emma Bradford, ​Matt Ruddick, Kurt Cheesbro

Founder and CEO Chris Yokley (middle) shares his "why" about how Advocate Financial Partners went from a goal to a number one satellite office at American Senior Benefits.

Why did you create Advocate Financial Partners?