Financial planning is a career that helps others. The other day a client of mine thanked me warmly: ‘Had you not persisted in advising me to take out insurance coverage for critical illnesses as well as hospital benefits,’ said the client, ‘I would have put myself in a difficult financial situation.’ This is where I gain job satisfaction – the trust of my clients, which also brought me countless customer referrals as well as my first million dollars of earnings at MassMutual when I was 29!

Looking back to when I was still in the telecom industry, I worked over 10 hours a day and even had to work on weekends. Not only did I receive a limited salary increase, but also had little spare time for myself. Finally, I came to realize that financial-planning industry is the answer to a better life. As long as you have good self-discipline, the flexitime working hours of a financial planner allow time for my hobbies and the opportunity for me to earn attractive income. Today, I’m in five basketball teams and have participated in a number of matches.

Because I was so scared of being snubbed, my biggest challenge was to feel able to talk about ‘insurance’ among friends. Later I overcame this fear as I understood that financial planning was not just about selling. One day, a client of mine said: ‘I counted on you and bought insurance from you because of your professional service.’ This client had rejected several insurance proposals from close friends before he chose mine. It was my service from the heart that reassured him about the real benefits of his insurance policy.