Motivation from Matt

 Executive Partner Matt Ruddick (middle) shares his tips & tricks to being and staying motivated, successful, and grounded. From learning lessons that hit close to the heart, making a change to stand up for what is right, and his instant success....
​this is something you wont want to miss.

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Understanding who Advocate Financial Partners is requires a deeper knowledge of the Executive Partners in our organization. Matt Ruddick opens up about his story,
​discussing some of the most vital topics all entrepreneurs reflect on.

By Emma Bradford
March 1, 2019

Lets start from the beginning..

"At Rockford College I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Finance. After graduating I joined my family in our farming business, where I owned a trucking company for a few years. My grandfather was ready to retire so I sold the trucking company and put my resume out there. An insurance company, Bankers Life, called me. While there I learned a lot, and it was good general training."

"After awhile I felt that it was time for me to move on,
I was being called to do more"

"When I was considering leaving, I really analyzed all aspects of my business. I would not allow myself to become complacent and comfortable. If I did, I knew that I would never reach my full potential. Shortly after leaving, I met Chris Yokley and saw a great opportunity to plug into Advocate Financial Partners. In my first 3 months I opened my own office in Elgin"

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Pictured: Matt Ruddick (left), Chris Yokley (center),
​Brad Rachke (right)

"If you are not uncomfortable then you're not growing, and if you're not growing you are going backwards"

How would you describe yourself now vs when you first started in the insurance industry? 

"After you gain some experience, in any industry, you have more knowledge and it becomes easier. You are more sure of yourself and your instincts. It took me about a year to do that, but once you have it no one can ever take that away from you."

"Looking back now I can see that
I was somewhat ashamed to tell people what my career was, I thought they wouldn't take me seriously"

"I bought in and I knew what I was doing
​was going to make a difference,
I felt excited to tell people what I was doing"

Pictured: Matt Ruddick, Executive Partner 

What drives you to keep going when you are frustrated? 

"The more you experience this business and industry as a whole, you quickly realize that everything can improve by seeing more clients. You can't be afraid to fail. If you fail or make a mistake once, it's fine. The problem lies with making the same mistake two or three times." 

"There is no issue with failing, but you have to be able to learn from it"

"One of the biggest failures in my career that I learned the most from was three months into the business. A good friend of mine, a husband, father of five, and small business owner needed life insurance and knew he had to have it. I allowed him to keep pushing it off. Finally, he called me the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, he said come over next Sunday and we can watch the Bears game and then we will do it. Friday morning his wife called me and told me that he died in his sleep from a heart attack. The life of a healthy 34 year old that had no prior health problems had been tragically taken completely unexpectedly. Now his kids are on Medicaid and live with his mom, and they have nothing."

Matt Ruddick (left),
​Keri Ruddick (right)

"If I didn't let him push me off so long and I acted with a sense of urgency, he would have had $2,000,000 worth of life insurance in place and his family would have been taken care of"

What are your most powerful motivators in business? 

As an agent: 
"Being able to help someone work towards a goal they never imagined, and see them though to achieve it."

"My Dad told me to just do what is right,
​and the right things will happen"

As a manager: 
"Seeing my team be successful, making a six figure income when they never anticipated it. It's not about the money so much as it is about making people realize that their full potential is attainable."

What is something you wish to do sometime in your life in business and in your personal life? 

In business: 
"Training my agents well. Well enough that I re-create myself two or three times."

In personal life:
"Fly a helicopter that I own. - and I am afraid of heights!"

Pictured: Matt Ruddick, Executive Partner

What song motivates you the most?

My Own Prison by Creed

"A lion roars in the darkness, only he holds the key"