A Big Week Ahead

I hope everyone had a good Father's day. I don't celebrate it...or at least I haven't in the past. We would have today but hubby worked until nearly 6 a.m. and didn't get up until almost 3 p.m. I wanted us to go to the air show that was going on but no such luck. Maybe next year.

Looks like I'll have to start celebrating in the future though considering my hubby is now a father. :) I did get him a refurbished Garmin and he had a blast playing with it on the way to get groceries.

This week looks crazy on the calendar and I hope I'll be able to manage without entirely losing my mind. Tomorrow looks the craziest but the whole week is fairly booked. The problem is that when I'm swamped doing presentations and enrollments I can't work at finding new prospects, meaning my future week will be super slow. Although since the week after is near July 4 slow wouldn't be that bad.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to give myself a vacation though...it's not like I've earned any money! =) But things are slowly looking up. I'm learning more and more every day.

One thing I learned last week is that I really really really want to help people...before they no longer qualify for help. I had an appointment where a guy wanted a policy but because he had some weird health incident earlier in the year he didn't qualify. He was NOT happy. And I felt horrible because Aflac was kind of his last hope for coverage (there were some other weird circumstances).

So many young people don't think about their future but I'm glad I did. Because I started saving for retirement at the age of 18 I have more invested than my mom who has less than 10 years until retirement. I've got a good 30 years left.

Similarly, if young peeps sign up for supplemental insurance like Aflac they lock in the awesome lower rates that come with being young. Not to mention they can avoid the pre-existing conditions that knock them out later in life. I don't even know if I can qualify for life insurance now because of various issues.

Here's to a crazy busy week!

What Do You Think?

I made a new banner and changed the template of the blog. Thoughts? I kind of like it. I'm going to try to find time to clean up the other stuff.

This week is going to be crazy busy. I've got two days of training in Bellevue, a good hour and a half from home making for long commutes. Two employee presentations - one after a full day of training. Bible study on Thursday.

I had my first group enrollment finish up last week and I'm pretty excited about it. I had four people sign up, with five policies. It was more than an interesting experience - especially for my very first one. And aside from the initial employee presentation I was pretty much on my own due to timing issues with my trainer.

I've had the Aflac Accident plan for eight years now and for at least six of those years I haven't submitted any of the Wellness benefits. The Accident plan comes with a $60 per year wellness benefit ... so I submitted six year's worth and am looking forward to a nice little check to help with bills. Once hubby and I get our icky Colonoscopies we'll be getting another couple hundred dollars from our Hospital plan and our Cancer plan.

Aflac wants people to be proactive with their health and provides wellness benefits to encourage folks to get that preventative care and testing. Not that I'm really excited to have any of the exams I need...but you know. Better safe than sorry.

It's all for the little man after all.

So Where's My Free Time?

This new job is kicking my mother luvin butt. Replace key words in your mind as needed because I sure use stronger words in mine. :)

I'm learning tons but I'm such a perfectionist that I am also getting really frustrated when I don't do things just right - and I think I'm screwing up even if it's not a big deal. We had a meeting with a business owner yesterday and I get started with what I'm saying and my mind goes blank.

Hello? Anyone home?

I need to practice more with someone in front of me instead of just in my head or looking in the mirror. Hubby isn't super helpful ... he prefers to laugh and kind of makes fun of me. He means well and he wants me to succeed but it bores him to hear me do my little presentation. I may have to tie him down and make him sit still to listen.

Oh...and of course there's the boy who is STILL teething (does it ever end!?!?!) although he does officially have a REAL tooth showing and another one peeking through. Woohoo! Maybe one of these days they'll stop torturing his little gums.

QUACK!

Did You Know?

Aflac is the leading supplemental insurance provider in the world - a Fortune 500 Company - and a supremely Ethical company.

Aflac provides 1/4 of all Japanese households with supplemental insurance. I didn't even know that Aflac was in Japan before I started with them.

Dan Amos, Aflac's CEO and chairman, was recently named Most Respected Businessman by Georgia Trend.

"Amos is not an ordinary insurance man. This is the CEO and chairman of Aflac, the Fortune 500 Columbus firm that has set a standard for workplace satisfaction and ethical practices. This is the guy who runs the largest supplemental insurance seller in the world. This is the guy who fostered the duck. ...

In truth, Amos is one of the most respected business leaders in the country, recognized on different fronts for the way he balances business and social responsibilities, and it’s reflected in the way Aflac wins recognition year after year.


This year Amos was named to Institutional Investor magazine’s list of “Best CEOs in America” for the fifth time (best in the insurance sector two years running).

Fortune magazine has ranked Aflac one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” for 12 straight years (and ranked Aflac No. 1 on its global list of “Most Admired Companies” in the life and health insurance category). Forbes magazine has given Aflac the nod as “America’s Best-Managed Company” (insurance category)."

I love the Duck. =) But I also love that I now work for a company with heart.

Did you know that since 1955 Aflac has never raised a policy holder's premium? How many insurance companies can say that? None. If you bought a cancer policy in 1955, and never changed to a newer policy, you are still paying that same rate. (Of course, your benefits are going to be the same too...but the point is that the rate has never gone up.)

"Under Amos’s guidance, the company that was a pioneer in the cancer insurance industry has anted up more than $50 million to the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.


The company also supports the Child Life Therapy Program at the Morrell Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders in the Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center (New York), and has established the Aflac Fund for Childhood Cancer Patients and Families at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The sale of stuffed toy ducks in Japan has raised more than $12 million to support parent housing near cancer centers in that country. "

While this job is all new to me and it's so far been a little bumpy, I am very happy to be able to represent an honest and ethical company. I'm not ashamed to say that I work for Aflac - QUACK!!!

My Apologies!

I want to apologize to some of my favorite online friends...with all the crazy training, setting meetings, calling businesses, and trying to make a new living I have hardly had time to think about anything other than breathing. Marshal's drawers are super empty...all his clothes are on the dining table! Sheesh.

My goal is to someday get the hang of all this and be able to manage my time and include my favorite blogs back in my schedule, but right now it's all about learning and trying to help businesses protect their employees. So many business owners think that Aflac is major medical insurance - or car insurance. :)

The marketing department did such a great job with the duck. Everyone knows the Duck! Unfortunately, the duck isn't what Aflac does. :) Aflac is supplemental insurance that has nothing to do with Major Medical insurance, and there's no car or home policies offered.

So when I call businesses some are immediately on defense - and I don't blame them. If I don't do my job then they think I'm trying to sell them something. Actually I don't sell anything to businesses and that's a tough thing to get past.

Did you know that if you sign up for an Aflac policy through your job you OWN it - it's all yours. And you can take it with you if you leave your job. This is a big deal because one of the policies we offer is Short Term Disability. Unfortunately you can't buy this policy directly - only through a group (your employer). So I'm out of luck because they didn't offer it as an option when I was signing up for my policies at my last job. Grrr!

Aflac also has Vision policies - but these also can't be purchased on a direct basis, only through a group sign up.

Thankfully the rest of the policies can be signed up on an individual basis and they're a lot more affordable than most people realize. Some policies start as low as $2 a week! Considering how outrageous insurance costs, and when you consider that health insurance policies are meant to pay the doctors, Aflac policies are a great deal. They pay YOU directly! Above and beyond any major medical coverage.

Anyway...things are so crazy trying to learn all of the policies. :) Not to mention my little man and his craziness. He's started pulling himself up to stand!!!!!

We are in SO much trouble! =D

Yee Haw! I Lasted 20 Seconds!

Last Friday I headed on out to a hoe down...technically a Barnyard Bash. It was an awards "ceremony" for Aflac and even though I hadn't even been there a week yet I sort of had to go. I'm glad I did...and even more glad we didn't stay a long time.

Somehow I got roped in (hahaha, get it!) to competing in the Hillbilly Olympics, as the female bull rider for our team. Each team had to have a woman and a man...and I was the lucky gal in jeans who wasn't pregnant or having back problems.

You know that you actually have to sign a WAVER to ride a mechanical bull!?! I was a little worried because my neck occasionally gives me problems but I did it anyway. I'm officially part of the team after this little display! =)

Crazy right? lol I have NO idea how I lasted 20 seconds, but that was more than any of the men on any of the teams lasted. There was one other woman who went 20 seconds as well so we had to have a ride-off. Yeah, I lost badly. My legs were shaking, I felt ill, and just walking on that bouncy stuff is exhausting.

Getting on those bulls is hard too...the first time I was like a beached whale, but the for the ride-off I was much more graceful. Didn't help my riding much. =)

There's ONE little rope you hold on to and it is brutal. The other gal's skin got ripped off on her finger and I had several red marks on my hand. It's not easy.

Training, Training, Training

Monday and Tuesday were training days for me...away from home. Poor hubby had to be responsible for our boy Monday night and Tuesday morning, but really he gets off pretty easy. My mother in law came over Tuesday morning to get Marshal ready for the nanny and then the nanny came over to pick him up for the day. Basically hubby just had to get him on Monday, feed him, clothe/change him, and put him to bed.

But it's still kind of a big deal because I've never been away from my son overnight. I'm actually SURPRISED by how much I missed him - even trying to get him to bed at night. Sure, I got to sleep in with no crying and no dog jumping up on the bed. But it wasn't all that great. I actually got food poisoning Monday night so my night and Tuesday morning were pretty lame. I did feel a little better thankfully by the time my class started on Tuesday.

There is SO much to learn. It's exhausting and overwhelming. And kind of scary. Will I be able to do this? Will I be able to convey this information to others and share what I'm learning in a way that will help them see the value of Aflac in their lives? I've known the valu of Aflac in our lives for 8 years, but even I wasn't aware of some of the awesome products they offer that I actually need to sign up for.

I need to sign us up for the Hospital Protection plan in the next week or two. And I'm hoping to get my little brother signed up for the Cancer policy - he needs it. We have a history of cancer in our family and since he's under 30 his rates will be way lower than if he waits a few years.

I wish young folks thought more about their future - I know I did. I signed up for the Accident Policy when I was in my early 20s. My rates are just about as low as they can get for the policies we have. Age 35 is the cutoff for rate increases.

How do I help others protect themselves and their families and their assets...without sounding like a dorky sales person?

Knowing Myself

Starting a new career is definitely scary. It was nice to sort of ease into it the last few months but even with that lead in time the last week was stressful and nerve wracking.

Can I do this? My esteem certainly has gotten hit several times. I get frustrated when I screw something up. There's a lot to remember including certain phrases to say and ones not to say.

I know that one of my issues is that I get really excited. After all, I wouldn't be working for Aflac if I wasn't a huge fan of their services and believe in what the company offers. So when someone says that they've had agents contact them and they aren't interested, my instict is to ask "Really? Why not?" lol And that doesn't work.

So trying to tamp back that instinct is something I have to work on.

Cold calling is definitely not fun and I promise to be nice to people who call me from now on. *grin* I can't even imagine how lame it is to call people when you're working for minimum wage and selling something you aren't passionate about. I love Aflac and am doing this because I want to (because if we tried we could live on one income) and getting rejected is tough. Especially when someone is rude about it.

Several folks have been really nice about it and that does make it easier to hear "no".

This whole thing is requires a HUGE learning curve for me. Things used to come a lot easier to me but my memory just seems like swiss cheese. Just reading something doesn't automatically make me remember it...I need to hear it, see it, and then work with it to really get it memorized and understood.

I did get several meetings set up and I'm SO excited and kind of proud of myself. They're all businesses that we are customers of ... does that make it less exciting and scary? Not to me! I'm just thankful that they are giving me a chance to present...and practice! =) If they decide to sign up, all the better. But right now I really need to get a grasp of how to do this right.

Heading to the Party

My first week at Aflac is done. It's been exhausting and fun and scary and did I mention exhausting? I'm kind of working 12 hours a day right now because I have so much to do. Next week I start attending my formal training classes and there are pre-requisites that I need to have done before I go. If I'd had last week off I probably would have taken more time to prepare ahead of time, but it is what it is.

I'm still amazed that there are some people out there (not that I'll name any names *grin*) who aren't really sure what Aflac does. But I suppose if you've never been a policy holder you wouldn't make it a priority to find out, right? :)

I've been a policy holder for 8 years since they first offered it at my last job. I started with the Accident policy and paid less than $15 a month. We definitely got our money's worth - hubby had to have surgery on his shoulder after an unsuccessful pull-up attempt. heh Our policy paid well over $1,000 (I just can't remember the exact amount). And then last year when my Trooper Bear bit my finger I got $190 - I didn't even need stitches, but the policy would have paid even more if stitchers had been required. All of this was cash directly to us, with no involvment of our health insurance company at all.

Last year after Marshal was born I signed us up for the Cancer policy, the Hospital Intensive Care policy, and of course the Accident policy...because we are a bit accident prone in this family and with a new baby I'm sure we'll have our fair share.

He just looks like trouble doesn't he? hee hee 7 months old!!!

So our premiums have obviously gone up - the Cancer policy is the most expensive, but also pays out a lot if any of us is diagnosed with cancer. My dad died at the age of 36 from colon cancer and my mother in law is still fighting Leukemia so for us it's definitely piece of mind.

I added the Hospital Intensive Care policy because it covers accidents and sick leave...and if I'm not mistaken the Accident policy will pay in addition to the Hospital I.C. plan. And if we'd had the Hospital plan a year before Marshal was born I believe that we would have been paid for his time spent in the NicU (live and learn I suppose). There's two other Hospital plans (Confinment and Confinment Sickness) but for us the I.C. plan seemed the most logical.

I'll probably write more about things as I'm learning all the details. If anything looks interesting I definitely encourage you to find an agent in your area - you can sign up as an individual/family or, if your company offers it, you can sign up during open enrollment. If your company doesn't, ask your HR department (or whoever makes those decisions) if they would consider it. =) And if you're in Washington - feel free to contact me. *grin*

In the meantime...I have to put on my cowboy boots and get to the big state meeting. It's theme is Barnyard Bash and I have to tell ya - I'm not THAT excited. It's only my first week and I'm expected to get up on stage with my 'team' and make a fool of myself. Oh yeah...can't wait! =)

New Kid on the Block

It's the big day...I start my brand new job. One where I will need to learn a whole new set of skills and not rely on my comfortable skills. Talk about going outside the box. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I made this decision but that's the beauty of God. He leads me to do things that I would never consider on my own...or that I would just not think about.

I'm going to be a sales person. Ew! I still can't fully comprehend it. But I'm thankful that the company I've joined is awesome and I can be proud to say that I sell Aflac!!!! =) It's my hope that the enthusiasm I have for the product comes through and makes me not so much a sales person but a business partner for people.

I remember a couple of years ago talking to one of my coworkers about our Aflac policy and she said I should sell it. I laughed them and never thought about it again. I just loved the product and we'd needed to use it (and used it again after that) so it didn't feel like 'selling' ... because I wasn't.

Does that make any sense whatsoever?

So as my first day begins I get to meet new coworkers, dress in business clothes (something I haven't done in at least 5 years), and learn new things. Scary...and exciting at the same time. =)