I have the daily privilege of meeting with individuals, families and business owners to build relationships. The very first step is to have a conversation. Through conversation, we can uncover what matters the most, what has been addressed, what has not, etc. As trust is established, I have the awesome job of working with my members and prospective members to assess their current financial, savings, retirement and/or insurance situation.

Indiana and Mississippi.

life insurance and annuities.

people in a variety of situations, but I am particularly passionate about seeing the changes in people, one by one, as they recognize that CHANGE can happen. That they can get 'unstuck' or can avoid potential pitfalls before they even know a pitfall can exist. We do not know what we do not know. My job is to educate. The rest of the planning happens naturally as one transitions into a proactive approach to money and protection as opposed to a reactive stance.

the fact that in my first two years with Modern Woodmen I have been a Modern Woodmen trip qualifier (top performer) both years; earned Century Club status (a club of top performers) both years; and obtained my licensing for life insurance, variable life, annuities and mutual funds. In 2016 I earned the Indiana region's Newcomer of the Year award and the Indiana region's Life Writer of the Year award. This career is a calling for me.

spent several years in the retail banking industry. I started as a teller and worked my way to branch management. When I left the industry, I was concentrating on consumer loan solutions, debt consolidation and elimination, budgeting, and understanding and improving credit scores, as well as growing the bank's business client base. I also educated my clients on the growing issue of identity theft and offered some options for protecting themselves and their families.

after being recruited for an entire year by my managing partner I finally listened to the Modern Woodmen story. I had been sought after by other financial services companies, but nothing appealed to me. Once I could see the philanthropic heart of the organization, I was in! I already knew I enjoyed the financial aspect of the job but I LOVE that we're built for members, and that we put our profits back into our members' lives through benefits, community service projects, etc.

finding hope for those who feel too intimidated to address their present or future financial situation. I find that educating my members on options they never realized they had -- simple steps they can take to realize a dream -- is motivation enough for me to keep growing in my knowledge of the industry. I don't want anyone to feel intimated into thinking they have to have it all together or make a certain amount of money. I want to have the conversation and see what we can uncover!

I met with an 18-year-old high school senior recently, and she and I had a conversation about life insurance (how it works, what it's for, etc.) and what a Roth individual retirement account (IRA) is. She has a part-time job and plans to work through college, so we started her first Roth IRA, putting away $25 per month. She understands she may not have to pay taxes and is already starting an affordable plan to save for her future! And she *gets* it -- she sees the importance of not waiting!

I am challenged daily to learn something new, improve upon something I have already learned and look for opportunities to use that knowledge for someone else's good!