Just like any other ordinary Pinoy graduate, Ysabel Victoria Benitez used her degree to look for that dream job – one that would make her independent, travel the world, and purchase her own home.
Being raised by a single parent with two other sisters, middle child Ysa, as she is fondly called, made her want to help her family as soon as she can.
That’s the plan anyway.
And just like any other ordinary Pinoy graduate, she found out that after 4 years of working, what she thought would be a clear-cut path to her dream needed more work. So, she ventured on what any normal office girl would do to find the one – try her luck on another job.
And she did.
While Ysa admits that her career was slowly taking shape and she was willing to put in the necessary work to make it happen, she had doubts about her chosen career path. Even with a new job, it seemed that her youthful aspirations were becoming less and less achievable in the timeframe she had in mind.
“Masaya naman ako sa naging mga work ko,” shared Ysa. “Pero I had this feeling that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. Merong akong hinahanap na di ko alam kung ano; I was happy with the people I was working with; I was very grateful for the work that I had, but somehow I was just looking for where I would truly feel fulfilled. I was 23 when I acknowledged that feeling.”
At the time, Ysa felt like work was just a motion, a means to earn an income. The passion was not there. So she began looking again, for the one. would it be another job? Another industry perhaps?
Serendipity meets destiny
The answer came very close to her, literally.
In August 2012, Ysa’s mother, asked her to take a leave from work to accompany some financial advisors to Insular Life’s assembly because she could not come with them. Yes, Ysa and her siblings were brought up by a single parent who is an Insular Life agency leader. Until that point, joining her mother in the business had never crossed her mind.
But that event would forever change the course of her life and destiny.
“That Insular Life assembly left a mark in me. That led me to ask my mom immediately after the event. Sabi ko sa kanya, mom, can I join your business, can I join your team? Hindi ako pinilit,” shared Ysa.
What made her decide to try financial advising are the stories of InLife millennial FAs who just came back from a trip abroad; the success stories of young people who are living their dream. She was inspired by it.
When Ysa finally found the one career that felt right, she knew it wouldnn’t be easy.
“I have friends that turned into clients, and I have clients that turned into friends,” said Ysa. “Of course, it wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies. Madaming puyat and pagod in the process. But it’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
All these hardwork paid off eventually. Ysa is now an 8-time Million Dollar Roundtable member and was promoted to Unit Manager in 2019.
Finding the One, is a GIFT
Ysa calls her journey into financial advising and finding the One, a GIFT.
Good stewardship – Ysa noted that an effective FA is one who embodies the lessons learned and disciplines developed as an FA. This included the right mindset about finances and sharing these lessons to clients and to her team members.
“Dati na akong magastos and hindi makaipon. In the ten years that I have been with InLife, I was able to learn and personally apply these lessons on myself. Because of proper financial planning, even during the pandemic we were prepared and even able to share this with other people.”
Infinite possibilities – Perhaps one of the greatest perks of an FA is that she or he is not limited in terms of recognition, career growth, or income. When Ysa started in 2012, that was also the year that her mother was promoted to general agency head.
And within this timeframe, with her mother and two sisters (her younger sibling also joined as an FA), she and her family finally moved in to their dream house. “It was one of the happiest moments in our life,” Ysa said.
Future proofing families’ lives – People might not be interested in getting their lives insured. Somehow, we have this feeling that nothing catastrophic will happen to us. Something that Ysa learned as an FA is that the unexpected could happen to anyone, derailing even our best laid our plans.
“When a client suddenly passed, his family was not aware that he had an InLife policy. When I presented the claim check, the wife was in tears because she can now raise four young children on her own,” related Ysa.
It is in moments such as this that Ysa realized that an insurance policy is not just a piece of paper but an extension of a family’s lifeline.
Thriving by helping others thrive – What makes Ysa’s journey even more fulfilling is that she finally found a career that uplifted her own, while also uplifting others. When she joined her mother’s team in 2012 there were only 5 of them, ten years later, over 30 FAs are working with them.
“Nothing makes me happier and feel more fulfilled than when you hear your team tell you about the change in their lives. Now, they no longer worry about debts, or unpaid tuition fees for their kids. Some are now able to afford family vacations. As an agency leader this has far exceeded my own personal achievements,” confessed Ysa.
Looking back, the one that Ysa has been looking for has always been within her grasp. Her mother laboured for her education and that of her siblings as an Insular Life FA but only her own experience, of what she desires about life, finally opened her to recognize the one. And she could have never been happier!
What Ysa has achieved, you can too! To learn about becoming an InLife Financial Advisor, simply attend InLife’s monthly Winners Circle Business Opportunity Forum; take the licensure exam and get licensed; and complete the basic training program. Visit https://www.insularlife.com.ph/become-a-financial-advisor for more details.
