By Ken Foskett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 21, 2007

Duane Morrow was in a business meeting when his left foot fell asleep.

He stood up and walked around. Then his right foot fell asleep.

Within 15 minutes, he was lying on the floor, unable to move either leg and gasping for breath. By day's end, he was in surgery fighting for his life.

He awoke paralyzed from the neck down, unable to move, or feel, any part of his body. A ventilator pumped his lungs to keep him alive.

Morrow began life as a quadriplegic three years ago, the result of a ruptured disc suffered in a rugby match.

Today, the 40-year-old businessman rides horses, jumps four-wheelers, plays golf and takes care of himself without anyone's help.

He's also learned to walk again. It's not exactly pretty. His right leg still won't fully cooperate, refusing to bend when it's told.

He uses a cane for balance, and an electronic device tells his toes when to lift off the ground. He has to concentrate on every step. Each motion requires as much will as strength.

But Morrow's remarkable recovery is pushing the boundaries of what's possible for people with traumatic spinal cord injuries.

A patient at Atlanta's Shepherd Center, Morrow has benefited from some of the latest technology in rehabilitative medicine, such as the small wireless device that helps him walk.

He's also the poster child for a new approach to physical therapy that combines rigorous athletic training with repetitive movement.

The biggest factor in Morrow's recovery has been the patient himself, according to his caregivers.

"He's just amazing," said Candy Tefertiller, his physical therapist. "It's important to have the right technology, but you've got to have a willingness to work. Every challenge is something for him to overcome."

A Born Competitor
About to begin a therapy session on Shepherd's basketball court, Morrow puts his toes behind the baseline and squares up like a sprinter waiting for the starter's gun.

Josh Zottnick, his trainer, grabs a strap around Morrow's waist to prevent him from falling and holds a stopwatch with his free hand.

Morrow grips a cane in his left hand. A Velcro band below his knee holds a small device that stimulates the leg muscles to pick up his foot when he walks.

Morrow grits his teeth and sets off in jerky motion, grunting under his breath as he moves. He crosses the court in 26 seconds.

He scowls at the result. On his third try, his time drops to 19 seconds. "I always want to get better," he said.

In high school in Gwinnett County, Morrow ran tailback in football – "a fast, skinny white kid," he said.

After the injury, Morrow faced the very real possibility that he would never walk again. But he also resolved to push himself as hard as he knew how.

"He was just always, always overly optimistic," said Kim, his wife. But he worried how their five children would cope.

A turning point came when Morrow asked his kids what they thought about their father living the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

The 5-year-old thought it might be cool, recalls Kim, especially if Morrow played wheelchair rugby, or "Murderball," and knocked other guys "out of their chairs."

"And you could literally see, there was a sparkle in Duane's eye," said Kim. "He thought, 'It's going to be OK. I can do this.' "

Now, Morrow plays Murderball at Shepherd. He's also one of the fastest wheelchair racers in the country, placing fifth in the open quad division of the Peachtree Road Race in 2006.

Competition is in his blood.

Years earlier, when he moved to London with his wife and children as an executive for Primerica, the life insurance company, amateur rugby seemed natural.

Mysteries of Recovery
The nerve cells in the spinal cord are some of the most complex and sophisticated inside the human body. They route signals from the brain, and provide crucial feedback, instantly.

But one ability eludes them: They cannot easily reproduce themselves. Unlike other cells in the body – skin, muscle, bone – spinal cells don't regrow after injury.

That's why spinal cord injuries can be so catastrophic. A severed spinal cord, known as a "complete" spinal injury, cannot be fused back together, and results in complete loss of feeling and movement below the break.

An "incomplete" injury, what Morrow experienced, results when the cord is damaged but not broken.

"The brain is sending signals, but they are not all getting through," said Dr. Brock Bowman, Morrow's doctor, the associate medical director at Shepherd. "In Duane's case, he's continued to improve enough that his brain has gotten more and more signals through."

Patients suffering incomplete injuries can recover feeling, movement and function with physical therapy. But the extent of recovery is also determined by internal processes that researchers do not yet fully understand.

Some patients may regain limited sensation. Some may never progress beyond a wheelchair. A handful may, indeed, walk again – fewer than 1 percent of patients with the type of injuries that Morrow suffered, Bowman said.

"But we see those, a couple every year, where we can't totally explain why that individual has gotten so much better than somebody else who seemingly has a very similar injury," Bowman said.

Stepping Up the Pace
In the fall of 2004, a week after his surgery in Bristol, England, Morrow flew home to Atlanta and started rehabilitative therapy at the Shepherd Center. Therapists immediately put him in a wheelchair.

The goal was self-sufficiency: being able to manage the chair; to drink water from a glass; to shave and groom.

Kim said it was painful to watch her husband struggling to get a water glass to his mouth.

Morrow's mother, Willorene, burst into tears as she watched him attempt to shave for the first time, cradling the shaver in the crook of his wrist.

"If you stepped up to help him, he would not let you," she recalled. "He wanted to do it himself."

After three months of therapy, Morrow was making progress. But it wasn't fast enough. He lobbied Shepherd officials to give him more intensive therapy.

In July 2005, Shepherd began a program called Beyond Therapy, and Morrow was one of its first participants.

Instead of therapy once a week, Morrow began going three or four days a week. His workouts increased from three hours a week to 12 to 15.

While still in a wheelchair, he began using a special bicycle that stimulated the muscles in his legs with electric impulses.

He began using a machine that simulated walking while holding him upright in a harness.

Soon, he was walking with crutches; then, with canes. Six months ago, he was fitted with a wireless device on his right leg, a $5,900 piece of equipment called the Bioness NESS L300.

Since wearing the device, Morrow has gone from being unable to lift his right foot to elevating it 12 inches.

"He's taken it in baby steps, but very fast baby steps," said Kim. "Every single day, it just seems like there is one new little strand of a muscle that comes alive ... or gets stronger."

After his therapy workout this week, Morrow said his goal is to walk without the help of a cane or the device on his leg.

"You've got to work," he said, dabbing some sweat from his brow. "It ain't easy if you want to walk again."

 

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Real People, Real Solutions

Premier Business Magazine, Fall 2007

For over 30 years Primerica has helped deliver sound financial solutions to more than 6 million clients. Here are some of their stories.

A recent CBS News.com story stated that, "Americans once again spent everything they made and then some last year, pushing the personal savings rate to the lowest level since the Great Depression more than seven decades ago.... The only time our savings rate has dipped into negative numbers and stayed there for the entire year is 2005, 2006 and in 1932 and 1933." Will it take another crash for people to wake up and realize that something must be done to reverse this trend?

The lessons of the Depression forced families to prioritize their finances, to establish want vs. need. Financial security became the biggest priority and saving money was a necessity, not an option. "My parents were children of the Depression and were very security conscious," says John Addison, Primerica Co-CEO. "Even though they didn't make a lot of money, they ended up financially independent because they were very frugal people and learned the value of money."

Today, many people have lost complete sight of the value of a dollar. With easy access to consumer credit to help supplement their lifestyle, the average middle-income family is getting deeper and deeper into debt, desperately looking for a way out. But surprisingly, very few financial services companies today are in the "financial education" business when it comes to the middle-income market. "If you don't have a minimum of $200,000, you are not worth their time," Addison says. "It doesn't work with their business model."

When it comes to finances, how much do you know? If you're like most people, you probably know little about personal finance. Perhaps you think long-term security is impossible on your income. But, the truth is, no matter what your income level, you can achieve financial security. You just have to take the time to learn a few simple principles about how money works.

Financial Education for Everyone
Primerica is about education. They believe there are no "secrets" to financial security and financial education isn't just for the wealthy. Primerica's goal is to educate hardworking families on simple concepts that can change their financial future forever.

Wouldn't you like to find out where your finances really stand? And what you could do today to prepare for tomorrow? What if you could find this out for free? In just 30 minutes, a Financial Needs Analysis (FNA) presented by a Primerica representative can help you get answers to important questions like, "Am I saving enough for a secure retirement? Can I ever get out of debt? Do I have enough life insurance?" With information you supply, an FNA can give you personalized options to help you prepare for retirement. If you are like most people, you have no idea if you are on track for retirement. An FNA can show you where you are right now, offer a proposed amount of monthly savings needed, and predict how long your retirement savings could last.

Debt is the financial disease that can prevent you from achieving your goals and dreams. An FNA can show you how you can combine all of your debts into one lower monthly payment. You can also find out how to get out of debt years before you ever thought possible. The FNA can also show you how much life insurance is enough. You know you should have life insurance, but do you know how much you need? An FNA can show you how much is enough to protect your family should tragedy strike.

When Miracles Can Happen
For 30 years, Primerica representatives have been sitting down with people at their kitchen table to help them create a strategy that will allow them to not only get back on track, but chart a course toward financial security. Every month, the Primerica home office is flooded with testimonials of how the lives of average middle-income families are being changed just because they sat down with a Primerica representative. "When our representatives sit down face to face with a family who is at the end of their financial rope and help them prepare a strategy to get out of debt and protect their family while saving for the future, that's when miracles can happen," Addison says.

P.J. & Aya Omedillo Miami, Florida

“We kept asking ourselves, ‘where did the money go?”

P.J. and Aya Omedillo of Miami are typical of those who thought they were living the American Dream. P.J. was a successful civil engineer who was in charge of $20 million

in school projects for Broward County; Aya was an IT professional. Together, they made $120,000, a more-than-comfortable income by any standards. Yet they found themselves strapped with $68,000 in credit card debt. "We had two good salaries and still somehow managed to get into a financial quagmire," P.J. says. "We kept asking ourselves, `where did the money go?"'

In 2000, a friend introduced P.J. and Aya to Omar Oropesa, a Primerica representative, who sat down with them to help them with their financial situation. "Omar told us about financial options we never knew existed," says P.J., who was so impressed with what he learned that he became a representative. "Part of the reason I joined was for the financial education I needed to get our own financial life in order," he says. And that he did. With a $.M.A.R.T. debt-consolidation loan and the money he earned with his Primerica business, P.J. and Aya wiped out their $68,000 credit card debt and are well ahead of paying off their mortgage. They have a term life insurance policy to protect their growing family, and opened college savings plans for their children, Mia and Alec. In 2005, P.J. went full time with his Primerica business and is very close to reaching the Regional Vice President level.

The Theory of Decreasing Responsibility
The Theory of Decreasing Responsibility explains how your life insurance needs change over time. In the early years you need a lot of life insurance coverage. But in the later years you may not. In the early years, when you are younger, you don't have a lot of money. But in the later years, you better have money.

How does this fit with your insurance needs? Today when you're young, loss of income due to a premature death would be devastating. Your children are young and you might have high ' debt and a house mortgage. Your need for insurance is highest at this time. When you get older, retirement income is needed. Your children are grown, your debts are lower and your mortgage is paid. If you have savings, you are self-insured, diminishing your need for insurance. By having life insurance when your financial responsibilities are the greatest you can have peace of mind knowing your family's future is protected.

Ron & Kim Vanderwal Edmond, Oklahoma

“We consolidated all of our bills, all of our high-interest debt, freeing up $850 in our monthly budget. Primerica was our miracle.” Ron and Kim Vanderwal of Oklahoma were praying for an answer to their financial woes. Ron was a 50-year-old tennis pro with bad knees. Kim was a 47-year-old landscaper with a bad back. Like a lot of families, Ron and Kim were drowning in debt. A construction loan they got to build their home turned into a balloon note and minimum payments on their credit cards had doubled. "We were in trouble, with a capital T," says Ron. To make things worse, they discovered their cash-value life insurance policy, which they thought had $36,000 in it, only had $10,000.

When the couple met Primerica reps Jay and Lyndi Wright, it was an answer to their prayers. They were so impressed with their presentation, Kim and Ron started the process of getting licensed to become representatives so they could help others the way Jay and Lyndi helped them. "We got busy doing the business, got licensed, and started helping families get the very thing that we needed so badly-financial education."

Ron and Kim are happy to report that since closing on their $.M.A.R.T. consolidation loan in August 2005, they can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. "We consolidated all of our bills, all of our high-interest debt, freeing up $850 in our monthly budget," Kim says. Plus, Ron now has triple the life insurance coverage with a Primerica Life term insurance policy for half the cost of their old whole life policy.

Primerica Is Making a Difference

In 2006:

• Paid $825-million in death claim benefits
• Helped clients invest $4.6 billion in mutual funds
• Consolidated $4.7 billion in consumer debt

Jacoby Smith Houston, Texas

“I really liked what I saw because they didn’t try to sell me something; they educated me.”

"Primerica was our miracle," Kim says. "But the real miracles out there are the families that we have been able to help. We have heard story upon story of families that were in the same shape or worse, whose lives have been transformed because of Primerica."

Jacoby Smith, father of four, works as a contractor for a large oil plant in Houston, Texas. Prior to discovering Primerica, he lived in a $30,000 home, had a poor credit score and was living paycheck to paycheck.

One day, he was involved in an accident at the plant where he worked. Because of his injuries, he received a settlement from the company. "The settlement was a blessing, but everyone tried to tell me what to do with the money," Jacoby says. Fortunately, a trusted friend referred him to Primerica representatives Todd Greer and Daina Sarafin.

Jacoby went to the appointment with an open mind. "I really liked what I saw because they educated me," Jacoby says. "I felt good about everything they said and they set me up on a program that would put my money to work for me."

Since then Jacoby has moved his family into a larger home, with every single payment being paid through the investments he set up with Primerica. "You can imagine the effect the regular payments are having on my credit score each month," Jacoby says. Over the last eight months his investments have grown to almost three times his annual income.

Jacoby can't thank Primerica enough for how that one appointment impacted his life forever. "For the first time in my life, I no longer live paycheck to paycheck," Jacoby says with a smile. "I see a bright future for my children and my entire family."

Insured: Police Officer, age 34 Charlotte, North Carolina

“We helped do something incredible for them.”

Before Primerica: $37,000 coverage After Primerica: $500,000 coverage
Primerica Regional Vice President Bill Mitchell met the client when she was still in school and working part time as a server at an area restaurant. She later got engaged and Mitchell attended the couple's wedding, where he recalls the nervous groom fainting at the altar. Not long after they were married, Mitchell met with the newlyweds to do their FNA.

The husband was employed as a maintenance worker for a realty company, but he had always wanted to be a policeman. The wife was working on getting her degree. The young couple did not know much about personal finance, but fortunately they were not carrying any significant debt. According to Mitchell, they owned a modest home and were diligently paying their $1,100 monthly mortgage payment, but they had not yet started to save for the future. The husband had $37,000 of group life insurance protection through his employer. Mitchell helped the couple apply for a policy with a death benefit of $500,000.

Mitchell's clients started a family soon thereafter and the husband joined the Charlotte police force. A few years went by and they moved into their dream home in suburban Charlotte. The wife was six months pregnant with their second child when a terrible tragedy struck the family. Her husband was on patrol on a Saturday evening when he and another officer were called to an apartment complex to investigate a possible domestic disturbance. All of a sudden, the two officers found themselves struggling in the parking lot with an armed suspect who shot both of them to death at close range.

Bill saw the news report on TV the following morning and immediately recognized his client's name. At the office, he verified his client's coverage and tried to contact the wife. Mitchell first spoke to her at the funeral, which was attended by an estimated 1,000 members of the community and police officers, who wore customary black bands over their badges to express their grief. In the long receiving line, the widow saw her Primerica representative and was relieved because she knew he was working to get the death benefit delivered. The fallen officer was honored with a 21-gun salute and a flyover by police helicopters. With the Primerica death benefit and other fund-raising support, the family has an abundance of financial stability.

According to Mitchell, "It feels unbelievable to know this woman and her children are set for life because of what we were able to do for them:" The family's second child is due this summer, "and it's sad that little baby will never know his dad, but he and his mom and his older brother will be taken care of financially. We helped do something incredible for them."

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A Support System Unlike Any Other

Premier Business Magazine, Fall 2007
By Tahj Condra

Primerica Financial Services is a leader in the industry with its comprehensive approach to supporting its 100,000 licensed representatives.

When recruits join Primerica, they're truly getting into business for themselves but not by themselves. Representatives can build a "company within a company" by setting up their own independent businesses while using Primerica's revolutionary support system. Primerica makes it simple and appealing for anyone to enter the financial services industry with its "ultimate support system" that encourages success every step of the way.

Primerica has been helping its representatives get on the fast track to success since the company began, but it recently added some revolutionary enhancements that make achieving success even easier for everyone, from the newest recruit to a seasoned Regional Vice President. "We're shattering the code on building a financial services company," says Primerica Co-CEO John Addison. "This is a turnkey system unlike anything else out there today."

Changing the Face of Financial Services
At Primerica, recruits pay just $99 to enter the business. That fee not only covers their life insurance licensing requirements, but also positions them to have their securities­ licensing requirements paid for as well. By taking advantage of these new enhancements, recruits could potentially save nearly $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs associated with obtaining the necessary licenses required to offer Primerica's products.

With this blockbuster program, Primerica is changing the face of financial services. It was once known primarily as a life insurance company, but Primerica's new licensing program is preparing its sales force for the coming "intergenerational wealth transfer" that will happen as soon as baby boomers inherit money from their parents – and need help investing it. Primerica also hopes to tap into the $200 billion annual rollover market as millions of baby boomers retire in the next decade and roll over their 401(k)s into IRAs. With these new securities-licensing incentives, Primerica anticipates vastly expanding its securities-licensed sales force to prepare for the predicted upsurge in investments business.

With a focus on licensing, Primerica hopes to prepare the newest members of its sales force to offer underserved middle-market families the comprehensive, personal financial solutions they need.

Plugged In for Success
Primerica's support system is much more than just facilitating obtaining licenses to of­fer products. Addison likens the support the company offers to an "entrepreneurial life­line." "With Primerica, the recruit is not just a lamp without an outlet," he explains. "They're plugged into the company from the very start. This new entry system offers huge growth potential for everyone's business."

In addition to taking advantage of the new licensing benefits offered by the com­pany, recruits can pay just $25 a month to have access to the wealth of business tools offered through Primerica Online (POL), the company's expansive Web site for Primerica representatives.

Primerica Online has been changing the way representatives do business since its inception in 1998. Nearly 10 years later, this online support tool has grown into an industry ­leading resource for independent representa­tives. Along with the new $99 entry system introduced this year, Primerica representatives now can have access to "supercharged POL," the next generation of an already wildly successful online support system.

With enhanced POL, Primerica's repre­sentatives can use the power of the Web to stay updated, motivated and plugged into the Home Office. "Primerica is changing the way people do business," Addison enthuses. "There has never been support like this anywhere before!"

Supercharged POL: Taking It to the Next Level
Primerica Online offers support for every level of the business – from the newest recruits to RVPs running their own offices. Using these tools can help Primerica's representatives find success faster than ever by simplifying and streamlining their businesses. These enhancements make it easier for representatives to free up time to focus on recruiting, training and building their businesses in the field – instead of being bogged down with administrative tasks.

• Plugging In From the Start: One of the most exciting enhancements to Primerica Online is the New Recruit Homepage. When someone joins the business, their Primerica Online splash page will be customized with news, announcements and training tailored just for them. This special focus on recruits ensures they stay motivated, encouraged and informed throughout their first months in the business.
• Licensing for Success: One of the first steps recruits take in the business is obtain­ing their licenses to offer Primerica's prod­ucts. Primerica Online serves as their portal to success by offering a wealth of training materials, including study tools and exam simulators. By using these practice tools, Primerica's recruits can prepare for and take their licensing exams with confidence.
• Paperless Office of the Future: Keeping track of any business can be a daunting ad­ministrative burden, but Primerica's Virtual Base Shop makes it easy for representatives to keep track of everything going on in their offices. The new Virtual Base Shop is an online tool that offers a wealth of Web-based administrative tools, including business tracking, communications, paperless record keeping and more. Virtual Base Shop cre­ates a resource in which every RVP can have their own "online office" to take care of administrative tasks and communicate more effectively with their team.
• Communication Made Easy: In addition to all the resources offered through Virtual Base Shop, Primerica representatives can communicate easily and effectively with their teams through GoSolo. The GoSolo system is a Web-based communications tool that allows teammates to receive voice-mail communica­tions online. They can listen to the latest news and motivational messages from their RVP and key company leaders – all from the con­venience of their computers.
• Brand-New On-Demand Broadcasting: Primerica's own "Entrepreneurial Network" enters the online age with a brand-new stream­ing video resource that takes its programming to the Web. Previously, Primerica's television programming was broadcast through satellite TV. Thanks to the latest cutting-edge stream­ing video technology, Primerica's representa­tives can watch training and motivational programming when they want, wherever they want; on their computers.
• A Home Page for Every Rep: Designing and hosting your own Web site can be an ex­pensive undertaking, but Primerica is making it easy for every rep to have a presence online. As a Primerica representative, you can have your own personalized Web site that's easy to set up and is hosted by Primerica.
• Business ... in the Palm of Your Hand: Primerica will continue to expand its award­winning business tools and applications for the PDA, making it easy for representatives to use technology to make their day-to-day business operations smooth and paper-free. With its PDA resources, representatives can complete and submit their business to the processing centers – all from the palm of their hand.

Technology: the Tip of the Iceberg
Primerica is leading the way it's using technology to train, motivate and inform its independent representatives. Primerica's entrepreneurial support system is more than just incredible online support and tools. With Primerica, the representative is never far from Home Office backing and support. The Primerica Home Office is there to help the representative every step of the way, from licensing and training to motivation and in­centives to legal and compliance advisory.

Home Office Support System
More than 1,800 Home Office employees work hard each day, all for the representatives' success. The sales force is the driving force behind the Home Office, and the Home Office employees' day-to-day efforts reflect that.

• Publications: An in-house department creates materials for recruiting, motivating the sales force and educating clients. It's as though the sales force has its own in-house writing and design agency.
• EPN-TV: Primerica's own "Entrepreneurial Network" produces and delivers motivational and educational programming all year long.
• Legal and Compliance Advisory: Keeps the sales force up to date on the latest industry and regulatory requirements.
• Data Center: Operates 24 hours a day, every day, processing all applications and business statements.
• Printing and Distribution: A full-service printing and distribution center prepares and ships volumes of sales and training materials.

Unique Opportunities to Motivate and Excite
Primerica's support system is more than on­line tools and Home Office support. Primerica uses creative and unique opportunities to mo­tivate, train and excite its sales force to grow and expand their business. Primerica's Awards & Recognition department and Meetings & Conventions department work together to de­velop events and recognition opportunities to excite and motivate the sales force.

• Company Incentive Trips: Not every company offers its top producers a chance to travel to exciting destinations such as Hawaii, Cancun or Las Vegas. Primerica runs incentive trips every year, and representatives at all levels can compete to travel to dream destinations. These competition-based trips offer top producers a chance to network with other top reps and learn more about the business in incredible settings.
• Networking for New Leaders: A number of Primerica's events and incentives focus exclusively on the up-and-coming leaders in the company. At a twice-yearly event called Millionaires In Training, the newest RVPs are flown to Atlanta for a weekend of nuts-and-bolts training in how to be successful. The weekend isn't all work, though. There are exciting opportunities for recognition and the chance to network with the company's most successful representatives.
• Dress for Success: Primerica's repre­sentatives are driven by competition and recognition, and nothing gives them more pride than wearing their milestones. When repre­sentatives earn $50,000 in a 12-month period, they're awarded a special watch. When they reach $100,000 in income, they're rewarded with a special ring that signifies membership into the exclusive Financial Independence Council. New diamonds are added to the ring with every additional $100,000 they earn.
• A Convention Unlike Any Other: Every two years Primerica hosts a convention in Atlanta for its entire sales force. The four-day convention consistently draws a crowd of more than 50,000 and is Atlanta's largest corporate event. At this eye-opening convention at the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center, Primerica's representatives get to see the support system that's been created for their success up close and in person. The blockbuster event is filled with thrilling onstage recognition in the Georgia Dome, in-depth workshops, educational events and exhibits that bring Primerica's revolutionary support system to life.

Incredible Support: Just Business as Usual at Primerica
If someone were to start a financial services business of their own, the resources that Primerica offers could potentially cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in overhead. With Primerica's expansive and comprehensive support, anyone can start a career in financial services with the backing of an unparalleled support system and without a large, upfront capital investment.

Training, sales tools, technology, moti­vation, recognition, support ... it all comes together at Primerica. Its comprehensive sup­port system is transforming the way people do business and has the potential to change the face of the financial services industry.

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The Culture of Leadership and Support

The Primerica management team leads a company as unique in its makeup as it is dominant in its expertise.

By Tahj Condra
Premier Business Magazine, Fall 2007

Any successful and booming business draws attention to itself. With approximately 100,000 licensed representatives, Primerica Financial Services, based in Duluth, Ga., is the largest financial services marketing organization in North America. It's no wonder the spotlight keeps shining in its direction, with its unique "Co-CEO" team and continued success in educating America's neglected middle-income market about basic financial concepts to help it get on the road to financial independence.

The leaders of Primerica are John Addison, Co-CEO, and Richard Williams, Co-CEO and Chief Operating Officer: In this remarkable partnership the expected power struggles and overactive egos simply are not there. Addison and Williams were already longtime Primerica executives when they were appointed Co-CEOs. The marrying of their talents proved a natural fit. Theirs is "a fairly rare example of a successful long-term power-sharing arrangement" says Mark Supic, Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations. "You'll find in most cases that co-anything is a hard thing to pull off, but they've been doing it very successfully since 1999."

Complementary Management Styles
Addison and Williams share the same goal, which is rooted in the company's mission statement to "Help people become debt free and financially independent." But they don't share responsibilities. Each works in his respective areas of expertise, which differ as much as their personalities.

Williams primarily handles the financial and operational sides of the business. With a background in finance, he is methodical, detailed and most comfortable out of the limelight. Addison is the marketing strategist, sales leader and motivational speaker. While comfortable speaking in front of 40,000 to 50,000 people, he prefers almost anything to sitting down and poring over a spreadsheet. Ultimately, Williams and Addison collaborate on decisions, and their skills complement each other.

Along with Williams and Addison, Primerica boasts plenty of seasoned leaders, including President Glenn Williams and many others with more than 20 years of tenure with the company. Besides experience and talent; the leadership team believes in Primerica's purpose, which is a contributing factor to its overall success. "We're a cause-oriented company. We have an emotional connection to our representatives," Supic says. "We're committed to ensuring that our company and our representatives are in a position to win."

The amount of business Primerica manages every month makes it vital for the management team to work together. Primerica's business process, from pricing to formulas, is huge. Primerica has 2.4 million policies insuring 6 million clients, and the largest North American mutual fund sales force of 26,000 securities­ licensed representatives. "We have a team that fully understands not only their part, but also how it fits into the big picture," Supic says. "It helps that you have an open environment and a management team that encourages teamwork."

Operational Expertise
Primerica's top 12 executives comprise the company Planning Group, which meets each week to help manage all facets of the company and the sales force. "You've got a mixture of leaders, each with distinct responsibilities and skill sets, ranging from operations, IT and financial to marketing, legal and human resources," Supic says about the Planning Group. "If you are running an operation of this size, you need expertise in a variety of areas far beyond marketing."

The corporate culture at Primerica is unique in the financial services industry, Supic says. Employees feel a genuine commitment to both of their client groups: the legion of representatives as well as the approximately 6 million company clients. "Unlike other financial services companies, we have two client groups who we need to keep happy," he says. "We have to support our sales force properly in all aspects, including easing the licensing process, providing superior training, processing their business efficiently and providing them with great marketing tools. The bottom line is, if they don't succeed, we don't either. We take our relationship with our field representatives and our other clients very seriously."

Todd Greer, Primerica Regional Vice President from Houston agrees. "When .I think of the Primerica management team, I think leadership," Todd says. "The entire home office is such a support for us. They always have the best marketing tools we need and are constantly helping to take care of the needs of our clients. Overall, they have made it easier for us to grow our business."

IT Support
Technologically speaking, Primerica is second to none when it comes to how rapidly it processes business with relative ease and accuracy. "A large amount of our business ­insurance and mutual funds-is done by monthly bank drafts, payroll deduction," Supic says. "Our business has developed superior systems and technology over the years." Primerica also conducts periodic surveys of its life insurance clients, asking them to grade their service levels. As a part of Citigroup, Primerica has received the highest marks of any Citi company several times.

That's an impressive accomplishment, given that Primerica also averages around 30,000 insurance applications every month-and that's just for the life insurance product. The amount of daily mail Primerica receives has earned the company its own ZIP code. "The Duluth Post Office doesn't want anything to do with us, because we routinely receive over 25,000 pieces of mail every day," Supic says.

It's About Dedication
Primerica's Duluth, Ga., campus is home to 1,800 employees-there are 2,200 employees when you count other offices in Canada and Spain. "We run a very lean and efficient business here at Primerica," Supic says. "We have dedicated people who every day are looking at ways to serve our representatives and clients." For many at Primerica, it's more than a job; it's about providing superior service to the representatives so they can pass that dedication along to the families Primerica helps. Supic says, "Many of our employees have been with the company a long time-some over 20 years-and they stay because they know that they, like our reps in the field, are making a difference."

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Blueprint for Business

By Greg Jenson
Clarion Ledger, August 1, 2007

What was your first business experience?
I grew up in a small community (Tucker’s Crossing) in Jones County.  My two younger brothers and I baled hay for what seemed like the entire county.  By the end of the first year, we had made enough profit to pay for our equipment, and the second year we made enough to build a swimming pool for our family.

How did you come to enter your industry?
I was a senior at USM majoring in business with absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life.  A friend contacted me and simply said he had a business idea he wanted to show me.  What impressed me was the idea of being my own boss, helping people and unlimited opportunity.  I felt totally excited and scared to death at the same time.

What were the keys to getting started?
Learning to manage my time was a huge key.  I was a full‑time student and still had a full‑time job as a health club manager, so I had to learn to make the most of every spare minute.  I also learned the value of letting all the negatives and naysayers motivate me to try harder.  Hard work and a positive attitude went a long way as well.

When did you know that you would be successful?
My fourth month in this business I told my wife, Jill, “I am going to make a six‑figure income.”  I don’t think she believed me.  My confidence came from three things:

1. I knew I had work ethic.
2. I had people who were willing to coach me.
3. I knew what I had to do to earn promotions (no politics).

What keeps you successful?
I’ve been in this business 28 years and have come to understand a life of purpose and passion is better than a life of leisure and pleasure.  I believe all of us are here to make a difference with our lives.  Success in business gives you a platform where you can influence others in a positive way.

How do you balance work and family?
You don’t!  I think they are hard to separate.  I’ve always looked at this business as a family business.  Jill and I made the decision a long time ago that we would build a business together.  Two heads are better than one.  I believe in more of an integrated approach when it comes to my spiritual, family and business life.  If you have a lousy personal life, sooner or later, it will affect your business and you will blow up.

What advice would you give budding entrepreneurs?
To be successful, you have to be willing to do what average and ordinary people are not willing to do.  You have to have a burning desire to do something special with your life.  When you combine having a game plan, work ethic and being a good person, you will beat 90 percent of the people in your field.  Keep your eyes on your goal.  Be a servant leader.  Be consistent and don’t ever give up.

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Volunteers Honored at Kickoff

Gwinnett Daily Post, October 4, 2007
By Melissa Wilson

Great Days projects begin this weekend

Duluth – This year’s Great Days of Service kickoff began with food and mingling, but the real reason for the evening was soon clear.

Gwinnett Coalition of Health and Human Services Executive Director Ellen Gerstein said the purpose of the gathering Wednesday night at Wild Bill’s in Duluth was to recognize the sponsors and coordinators for this year’s program.

Barbara King, executive vice president of Primerica Financial Services, was awarded the Thomas James Corporate Involvement Award for her and Primerica’s multiple years of work with the coalition.

“I can’t think of any company and person that deserves this award more,” Gerstein said.

The recognition was a surprise to King who said she and Primerica have been supporting the coalition since its inception.

“I’m totally in shock, that’s for one thing,” King said. “It was a great pleasure for us when we got to the point where we could do great corporate citizenship. Gwinnett County has been very good to us, and we’re so glad we can be good to Gwinnett County.”

Susanne Thomas, a coalition steering committee member, was also recognized for her commitment.

She received the Above and Beyond Award for her work over the past six years and for her dedication to the program.

Thomas said she helped recruit and set up more than 50 of this year’s projects for Gwinnett Days of Service.

“I just do this because I love it,” Thomas, a retiree of the Coca‑Cola Co., said of her work.

Service projects begin this weekend throughout the county for the two‑day program filled with volunteer projects for nonprofit agencies and schools around the county.

Coalition Associate Director Nicole Love said anyone interested in volunteering or donating funds for Great Days of Service can visit www.gwinnettcoalition.org for more information.

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Helping Hands

Topeka Capital-Journal, September 27, 2007

“I am writing to thank my fellow Topekans for helping me out in my time of need, and to convey what a wonderful experience I have had … A group of representatives from Primerica, led by Stephany Kuhlman … would be willing to help me out. This huge group of wonderful people came to my house and gave up their free time to help me out for an entire Saturday morning! They cleaned and organized my garage, fixed my door and performed many other duties that I was not able to do on my own, and I am so grateful.

“I just cannot say enough about my new friends.

“I want everyone to know that there are very kind and caring people who live right here in Topeka. God has blessed me and others in this community, to have special people who give up their time and energy to take care of each other. Thanks to Mayor Bunten, Keep America Beautiful and, most of all, the associates of Primerica. They made it possible for me to come home!”

Excerpt from a Letter to the Editor from Ardith Burgoon.

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Designing a Life of Substance

Premier Business Magazine, Fall 2007

Primerica offers people from all walks of life the opportunity to design the life of their dreams.

Renowned author and speaker Les Brown once said that to be an active force in our own lives, not only must we take charge of our own destinies we must design a life of substance to live our dreams.

Primerica offers a way for people to start dreaming again and take back control of their own lives. In fact, over 100,000 people are changing their destiny through the Primerica business opportunity. "The language of being your own boss is universal," says Primerica Co-CEO Rick Williams. "Having a desire to make a better life for your family needs no translation." But what astounds Williams the most is how diverse the face of their business has become. "Our sales force is a snapshot of America," he says.

Although Primerica representatives are diverse as far as industry and educational backgrounds, what amazes Co-CEO John Addison the most is their desire to call their own shots in life. "Success does not care whether you came from the poor neighbor­hoods of Brooklyn or the plains of Kansas City," Addison says. "Just like the founders of this company, our representatives have that same desire to be somebody, to do something great, to make a difference with their lives as well as the lives of their clients."

Williams adds, "The deepness of their desire astounds me each and every day. It's what gets me out of bed each morning to come to work."

Primerica's representatives come from all walks of life. They're coaches, construction workers, college professors, pastors, healthcare workers and stay-at-home moms. Although their stories are all different, they have something in common: the desire to make a difference — both in their lives and the lives of others. Today, many have the kind of security for their families they never dreamed was possible.

A Chance to Be Somebody
Brandon Neil of Utah used to work for a well-known credit card company and did construction on the side. A friend at his com­pany introduced him to Primerica and within six months he was working in Primerica full-time.

"Two things really caught our attention about Primerica," Brandon says. "The first is what Primerica does for families. More than ever, families are struggling to stay ahead financially, and it can cause great stress in their lives. We saw that Primerica had all the answers for these families and we wanted to help."

The other was the opportunity to be in business for yourself but not by yourself. "Primerica is willing to teach us exactly what to do and that was comforting to know," Brandon's wife Lexee says. "The risk to get into this business is small because you can start part-time and go as fast as you want. What you put into it is what you get out of it."

"Being a representative with Primerica is extremely rewarding," says Brandon, who is grateful for the direction Primerica has given his life. "Everyone wants to be somebody, but few people really get the chance," he says. "In Primerica the sky is the limit and it's a business where average people have a chance to do something great. If you're going to work hard throughout your working life, you may as well build something that can continue to pay you when you're done."

Leaving a Legacy
Arleigh Larson, a former farm-equipment dealer from Alberta, Canada, learned about Primerica 20 years ago when his good friend flew 2,000 miles to talk to him about it. "I didn't think it would be something that I would be interested in, but the more I looked at it, I could see the big picture," Arleigh says. "The fact that I could build a business and not have a lot of overhead appealed to me."

Today, Arleigh has built a business that has earned millions of dollars and has hun­dreds of clients that are on track for financial independence. "The big payoff is how I feel about what I do," Arleigh says, commenting about his efforts in helping people who are consumed with credit card debt and have little protection for their families. "Unless people get a road map and a goal for finan­cial independence, there is little chance that North Americans will enjoy their future in retirement," he says. "Primerica gives anyone willing to work a chance to build a business that will help them become financially independent – something they will be able to pass on to the next generation."

Championing a Cause
Like many leaders in Primerica, Brian and Lynley Mehmen of Wisconsin were Primerica clients before they got involved in the business. "We did a Financial Needs Analysis and found out that we had the wrong kind of life insurance, a balloon mortgage and little savings," Brian says, who, besides learning how much work he had to do on his finances was shown that he could make a good part-time income by helping other people with their finances.

A butcher by trade, Brian, along with his wife, ran a meat-processing company and knew what it took to run a business. However, they were intrigued by the thought of having an opportunity where they could grow a large business by helping other people the same way they were helped.

"Above all, giving people a chance to become debt-free became our cause," Lynley says. "There are so many middle-income families who know nothing about personal finances or how a balloon mortgage or adjustable-rate mortgage works, and it's hurting them. Primerica is all about financial educa­tion, and we are bringing it to a market that needs it more than ever."

Brian's and Lynley's advice to those looking into Primerica is straightforward: "If you are willing to accept responsibility for your own actions and have a desire to help others, this company is for you," Brian says. "Primerica is a place where you can be you. You don't have to be anything you're not."

The Power to Dream Big
Dreams are what keep hope alive. Without them, where would we muster the courage to better ourselves? What would we do if we didn't know there is more to life than getting up every day and going to a job we don't have a passion for doing?

Frank Codina of Florida had a mentor that challenged him to dream. "It was the turning point in my Primerica business," Frank says, who, before Primerica, worked stocking shelves for a local store in south Florida. "I had dreams in life but I never found a way to make them happen." Frank's mentor challenged him to make a "dreams list." "I realized that a lot of my dreams dealt with travel, so from that point on, my focus was to build my business so it would give me the time to travel and do the things that I wanted to do."

Now that Frank and his wife Marcela have everything they need, their focus has turned to helping others find the courage to dream. When Frank concludes a presentation, he re­minds people that they, too, can become suc­cessful, but it starts with a dream – a dream that Frank has turned into a high six-figure income. However, for Frank the money is just a vehicle that gives him the freedom he and his family now enjoy.

"What matters most is I have gained total freedom," Frank says. "Today, I can take off any month I want and will still get paid while I'm gone. The travel pictures I carry around are not to impress people with where I've been, but rather impress upon them the need for finding a financial vehicle that can allow them to live their dreams whatever they may be."

Thinking Outside of the Box
Jay Wright of Oklahoma comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Growing up in Oklahoma, his father owned farms, ranches and raised cattle. His mother owned a little convenience store in the small town where he grew up. "I learned the value of hard work and made a decision at an early age that I wanted to be rich," says Jay, who, at the tender age of 14, read Napoleon Hill's classic Think and Grow Rich. "I went to the library and typed in the word 'rich' and the name of the book came up," Jay says. Jay's first entrepreneurial venture was starting his own snow cone stand in high school, which helped pay his way through col­lege. But flavored ice wasn't the only product in his small but expanding enterprise: he also installed bubblegum machines in toy stores. "I learned quickly the importance of target marketing," Jay says, laughing.

Jay says that part of being an entrepreneur is thinking independently. "That's what I love about being involved with Primerica. We have the chance to think out of the box when it comes to helping people with their finances, as well as help them earn extra money with a company that is focused on their success."

One piece of advice Jay gives others is to I have a strong reason, or a "why" for starting their own business. "When we first started, I wanted to make enough money to help pay for my little sister to go to college." Jay says. "I was the first person in my family to graduate from college and I wanted to have enough money set aside for my sister to go if she wanted. That was all the motivation I needed to go make more money."

Jay and his wife Lyndi feel like they've just scratched the surface in what they can accom­plish with their Primerica business, and they are focused on helping build winners out of people. "If you ask I00 people what winning means, you may get 100 different answers," Jay says. "To me, winning is committing to do something you said you would do, laying it on the line and working hard to accomplish it. Primerica is building a legacy of winners, and we're excited to help with the cause."

Living a Significant Life
Jim Kocher of New Jersey, a former pastor, says there are a lot of opportunities to make money in the world, but there are not many where you are able to make a difference in the lives of others. "Our mission with Primerica has always been to help families become debt­ free and financially independent – helping people live a life of significance," Jim says. "With Primerica, it's not just making money that is important. We are making a difference in the lives of our clients by giving them the financial tools to put them on a path to getting out of debt. We are also changing the lives of average middle-income families by helping them earn extra money."

Today, Jim and his wife Mary are focusing their efforts on mentoring others to become successful, which is their greatest reward. "Seeing the lives of our teammates change financially and socially because of Primerica is so tremendously rewarding," says Jim. Another source of satisfaction to the Kochers is seeing their family flourish in the business. "Watching our son progress in the business has been a tremendous source of joy for us."
Primerica has also allowed Jim and Mary to send their children to the best schools in the country, as well as afford homes on both coasts. "We have a home on the East Coast and one in California where we spend 10 days a month because that's where our grandchildren are and we want to be involved in their lives," Mary says.

"In the end it all comes back to living a life of significance," Jim says. "With some opportuni­ties you have freedom of time, but you don't have any money. With others, you may have income and time, but you don't get to make a significant impact in other people's lives. With Primerica you get all three."

A Lasting Impact
Growing up where money was short in sup­ply, Keith Otto of New Jersey knew the value of a dollar. He also knew he wanted to make a lot of them when he got older. "When I saw Primerica for the first time, I saw an opportuni­ty to make a lot of money," says Keith, who, as a plumber, was already pulling in a nice salary and was hesitant to give it up. "I was making $70,000 as a plumber, which was a lot for a kid without a college education," Keith says.
After four years working part-time, Keith took his Primerica business full-time and today is one of the company's top earners.

But what brings Keith and his wife Danielle the most joy is their ability to help their family. Two years ago Keith lost his brother to cancer. What insurance didn't cover, Keith and Danielle were able to pay. Paying bills was one thing; it was the time afforded Keith to spend with his brother in the months previous to his passing that gives him the most peace. "For the last five months of his life, I was able to spend every day with him," Keith says. "I didn't have to worry about coming to my office. I was able to travel and to take him different places for treatment, anything to help him survive. Having those last five months with my brother will be a memory I will never forget."

Aside from family, Keith and Danielle have a lot of clients who have been helped by Primerica's services. The most recent impact was 9/11. "We lost some clients that were in the World Trade Center," says Keith. "Although we can't fathom the pain and suf­fering their families must have gone through that day, we were able to deliver a little ray of hope to them in the form of a check, for which they were grateful.

"Besides the impact we are having on the lives of people who are now on a path to getting out of debt and saving for the future, the biggest impact we can have is helping people join the business," Keith says. "At Primerica, you can have a business that, with some hard work and dedication, can make you financially independent. That's the biggest impact I feel we can have on people's lives."

Decisions from the Heart, Not the Pocketbook
"It's great to be with a company that you can always feel proud of what the company does," says René Turner of Georgia, a for­mer production supervisor turned Primerica representative. "I just believe 100 percent in what Primerica does to impact the families we serve." René meets with middle-income families every day and what she sees is hard­working people trying to do what's best for their families, but so many lack the knowledge about money. It can take a toll on their long-term outlook. "That's why our cause is so important, for we can give them the financial education – and a financial opportunity – to become debt-free and financially indepen­dent," René says.

René says the company truly lives up to its commitment in making the opportunity better today than it was yesterday. "Primerica gives us the opportunity to provide our family with options. My husband Mel's now pursuing a full-time ministry. And to have an 18-year-old daughter tell you that she wants to be like you is a big deal."

When it comes to why others should con­sider Primerica as a business opportunity, René says it's about positioning. "Most people live their lives where they have to say 'no' to the people they care about most and the things they like to do because the lack of money," says René. "If you are willing to work, develop people, really give of yourself, you can be in the 'yes' position and start to make decisions from your heart, not on the amount of money that is in your checking account."

Setting Priorities
Todd and Alisa Greer of Texas met while they were stationed in Italy serving in the Air Force. After moving to Dayton, Ohio, they bought a home that, according to Todd, was too expensive for them, which soon sent him off looking for a part-time job to help earn extra money. He found Primerica. "I felt like it was our one shot in life," says Todd. "It was a chance to build a business, have time and freedom, and, most importantly, being able to put God, family and business, in that order."

It's what Todd and Alisa do on a daily basis for people that excites them the most. "We have the chance to enlighten people and educate them on getting out of debt, setting financial goals and giving them a runway to accomplish those goals," says Alisa.

Alisa says getting involved with Primerica is more than just a way to make a great income – you also get the added benefit of learning to manage your own money. "People who join Primerica will better understand a mortgage, know how to decipher an insurance policy and be better prepared for a comfort­able retirement." says Alisa. "We always ask people how valuable would it be if you could open up any financial document and know if it's good or bad for you. The financial educa­tion you get with Primerica is better than any financial education in college because it's `real world' education and it's the difference between retiring one day and not."

Todd adds, "Since we have been a part of Primerica, Alisa and I have learned to be better parents, we've learned to be better leaders and have learned how to think differ­ently. I think in every area of our life we have improved, thanks to Primerica."

From the Gridiron to the Kitchen Table
Warren Powers of Maryland knows what it means to be battle-tested. He played five years in the National Football League and even played in the Super Bowl with Hall-of-Famer John Elway. When he retired in 1994, Warren went back to school and finished his college degree, in part to figure out what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

The NFL Players Association guided him toward Primerica: "What intrigued me about Primerica boiled down to three things," says Warren: "The first was the financial education aspect. I made a lot of money playing profes­sional football and I really wasn't educated on the best choices to make for my money. Secondly, I wanted to help people know how to get money working for them instead of the other way around. Third, was the excitement to get back to an NFL-type income and be in business for myself. I was used to making NFL-type money, a half-million dollars, and I believed Primerica was my best shot to get back to that kind of money."

Warren now tells his new team that rules for success don't change. "The things I brought from football are perseverance, mental tough­ness, being able to take a hit and get right back up and keep going forward," says Warren. "In order to grow, one thing I learned from the NFL is that the best players make the most money. And if you want to become a starter here in Primerica, you have to work just as hard. So I brought that work ethic to this busi­ness and that has paid dividends for me."

A Business Where You Call the Shots
When Omar Oropesa of Florida was look­ing into Primerica, he was a young man trying to avoid getting a "real" job. About ready to graduate college, he envisioned himself mak­ing a good living without having to wake up early to beat the rush-hour traffic. "I guess I joined the business out of laziness," says Omar, who has been nothing but the opposite. He now earns in the high six figures and is looking to help others do the same.

"I believe that the No. 1 crisis, besides families being in debt, is people are not making enough money," Omar says. "Most of their problems can be resolved if families had an extra $1,000 per month. Our No. 1 goal is to recruit and train our clients so they can help us spread the word." Omar also says if people could earn just $1,000 more a month they could not only put a large dent in eliminating their debt, but they could build savings for retirement and open up college savings plans for their kids. They could be on their way to accomplishing their goals. "Not earning enough money is the crisis that we are focusing on. Today, employers are not paying their people enough money," Omar says.

"With Primerica," says Omar, "you can own your own business where you call the shots. It's pretty rewarding now that I have a child and I don't have to rush off to work. I can hang out with him in the morning with my wife and that is a big deal for me. I'm just a happy guy, I work really hard and I love what I do. I wouldn't trade it in for anything."

Reached the Top of Your Pay Scale?
As a computer operator, Daryl Hawes of Oregon was paid $40,000 and that was the top of the pay scale. "In the beginning we were looking for extra money just to pay our bills," Daryl says. "My wife Connie was a stay-at-home mom, so we were broke. We joined Primerica out of desperation more than anything."

Twenty-three years later, Daryl and Connie are still with Primerica. "Primerica has been a company that can be trusted, a company you can believe in," Daryl says. "Anything they've ever talked about doing they have delivered. They have never compromised on doing what's best for the customer."

Today, with their needs met, Daryl and Connie don't have to think too much about money. Now it's all about reaching other people in need. "Primerica is really a self-improvement course," Daryl says. "We have grown in so many areas of personal development. In fact, the people who knew us before Primerica, who we have been out of touch with lately, have said they hardly know us now because we have changed. We have grown in every aspect of the business and it has changed our lives in every way."

Those who feel they might need experi­ence in the financial industry in order to be successful in Primerica can take solace in Daryl and Connie's experience. "We had no money, no experience and didn't know where to go to start a business," Daryl says. "For a very minimal investment, you have access to the mentoring and support of one the largest financial companies in the world backing up what you do. We feel there is just nothing out there that compares with what we do."

Finding Reward in Others' Success
When Shane Perry of California joined Primerica, he was 22, single and driving a delivery truck for a beer distributorship. Yet he was smart enough to look ahead and anticipate the kind of life he wanted to live. "I knew the day would soon arrive when I would have more responsibilities, and I knew the kind of life I wanted for my family when the time came. When I was approached to join Primerica, I jumped aboard."

Shane says Primerica is leading the charge when it comes to the plight facing middle­-income families. "We are one of few com­panies that will go out and sit down with the people who really need help the most and teach them how money works. There are not a lot of companies that will do that. Fortunately, the mission to save people from their financial problems is alive and well in Primerica, meaning that more people need our help more than ever."

Shane and his wife Dannene are so grate­ful for what Primerica has given their family. But equally as satisfying is seeing the lives of the people they have helped bring into the business change for the better. "We have a few teammates who were so unsure of themselves in the beginning, wondering if they could do it or not," Shane says. "And now they are earn­ing a few hundred thousand dollars a year and are well on their way to total freedom. And knowing that we had a little part to play in that is a big reward in itself."

A Quest for Opportunity
The opportunity to make an above-average income is one of the main reasons people join Primerica. But for Mike Sharpe of California, it was the freedom to be able to build a business with his own skills and personality traits that first drew him to Primerica. "With Primerica, you can be yourself," he says. "It doesn't matter who you are, where you started from or what mistakes you've made in the past. If you're an honest person, a hard worker and you want to change your life, you can build not just a great business, but will grow in ways you never knew possible."

The work Mike and thousands of other representatives are doing for average families is a badge of honor. "We're committed to middle-income families and are teaching them the fundamentals of money," says Mike. "We have created an entire army of people who are now out of debt and are putting more money away for retirement. Our team – and many others – are out helping thousands of people across the kitchen table, making their financial situations better. And that's a good feeling."

It's the relationships that have been forged that Mike says are the true reward. "My wife Marna and I have made such incredible friends since joining Primerica. It's incredible to have so many people focused on the same goal of helping people. We don't think of it as a job. It's a quest."

Going on 27 years in Primerica, Mike is more excited now than he ever has been. "I see a bigger future and more opportunity right now than I ever did at any time," says Mike. "I don't think I've ever worked harder."

The Power of Business Ownership
As a former owner of a bungee jumping business, Brendan Murton of Utah has always enjoyed the rush that comes with doing your own thing. "I'm not the kind of person who can work for somebody else," says Brendan. "When you work for yourself you only have to answer to yourself."

When introduced to Primerica, he thought they were looking for sales people. "When I found out that they were in the business of helping people and you could build your own business, that changed it for me." Brendan also liked that, with hard work, you had the potential to earn an unlimited amount of in­come, and that convinced him to give it a try.

In meeting with many families about their financial situations, Brendan says people cannot work any harder than they work now to get ahead. "There are too many people who have relied on a good job to maintain a middle-class lifestyle;" Brendan says. Middle class used to mean you could be a teacher or a policeman and support a family. But today, Brendan is seeing a lot of people with advanced degrees struggling to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. "Society says that in order to get ahead, you need an education and a good job," he says. "Business ownership, in my opinion, is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family."

One of the benefits of business ownership is it gives you the time to do those things you are passionate about. "One of my passions is flying," says Brendan, who a few years ago purchased his own small-engine plane. "I recently flew my boys to the Super Bowl and then down to Cancun," Brendan says. "Those were experiences I could have never done with my previous business. I owe all that I have to Primerica."

Celebrating Each Day
Ryan and Summer Silva of Oregon were the typical couple trying to make ends meet. Ryan worked the graveyard shift and would get home in the morning, just long enough to kiss Summer goodbye as she left for her retail job. "That was a big strain on our marriage. I worked five 12-hour shifts because we had to have the money," Ryan says. "We had a lot of debt, a first and second mortgage and a lot of credit cards with interest rates ranging from 14 to 23 percent."

Luckily, they were able to meet with a Primerica representative who put them on a debt elimination program that helped save them $400 per month. "Our representative helped us start an emergency fund. We also began investing and got the life insurance we needed. Now we are well on the road to paying off our home faster." Seeing the need for what Primerica offered, Ryan and Summer told their friends about their financial transforma­tion and soon were working in the business helping other families who were in their same situation. Soon they were making more money than they ever thought possible.

Their financial success couldn't have seen better timing. Six months into the business, both of Summer's parents were diagnosed with cancer. "That really drove us to work even harder because no one else in her fam­ily could help them because they had to be at their jobs," Ryan says. Although her parents passed away, Ryan says the comfort and sup­port they were able to give them will never be forgotten. "Summer was the only person in her family to go to every doctor's appointment and was hand-in-hand with them when they passed away."
Today, the Silvas celebrate each day they are given. "Each morning when we get up, we celebrate the fact that we are very fortunate to have a business that allows us to spend those precious moments with our family – moments that we don't take for granted."

Success for the Average Guy
Richie Falcone of Rhode Island is a self-proclaimed average guy. As a former carpenter and construction worker, he never thought an average guy like him would be able to amount to much financially. That's before he was introduced to Primerica. "The miracle for me was that Primerica could take an average person who really didn't have a clue about money and finances, train them in how money works and, with hard work and commitment, they could help them go out and make a high six-figure income," Richie says. "That's what sold me on the Primerica concept, because I was that guy."

To Richie, Primerica is a special company because of the people. "We care about help­ing our clients and our fellow representatives win," Richie says. "There's a deep concern about people wanting to help people win in this company. There are many in this company who could have retired years ago, but they are still actively working the business because they want to help others see the big picture for themselves and their family."

Richie says there are a lot of people who are not able to give their families every­thing they want to give them. "Many people settle with what they have because they don't think there's any other option," Richie says. "Everybody's just thank­ful that they have a job. But if you were in an environ­ment where you have a chance to get more out of life, many more people would jump at the chance. And Primerica is that company."

Delivering On a Promise
One barometer of the overall success of a company is its people. And when you have been at one company for 25 years, like Jerry Byer of Michigan has with Primerica, that says the company is doing something right. "As long as I have been here, Primerica has never asked me to compromise my moral beliefs or ethical standards," Jerry says. "They have delivered on every promise. That speaks volumes to the credibility of this company."

Jerry believes the payoff to being a represen­tative is that he gets paid well to help change lives. "The bottom line is, if you can feel good about what you do and have an opportunity to make a lot of money at it, then you have the ultimate situation," Jerry says. "We have a great opportunity because we do great things for people."

Jerry says the Primerica difference is in the life-changing education it offers families. "People are not poor because they want to be poor," says Jerry. "They are poor partly because they have not been taught how money works." Jerry says Primerica is successful for two reasons: what they do, and how they do it. "We offer financial solutions people need through a Financial Needs Analysis," says Jerry. "It gives families a program from which to work, a way to come to grips with dealing with their finances."

Jerry says his greatest reward since becom­ing a Primerica representative has been the quality of life he now enjoys. "I guess most jobs pay you for the job you have, not the job you do," Jerry says. "When you get to the point you are not making financial decisions based on money, I think that gives you a great quality of life."

Doing What's Right 100 Percent of the Time
What intrigued Cheryl Bartlett of California most about Primerica was that she saw a wholesome environment where she wouldn't have to play politics or kiss up to anybody to get a promotion. "I saw a place where I could play wide open, compete, have fun and build wealth for my family," Cheryl says. "What makes Primerica special is we do what is right, 100 percent of the time. And we give a different kind of person a chance to be able to have their own business and be their own boss, to be free and be independent."

Cheryl also says the financial challenges that families face today are more complex than years past. "When I was a teenager my father worked full-time and my mother was home every day when I got home from school. Today, both husband and wife are a part of the workforce, yet they are actually earning less, after inflation. That is leading many to subsidize their lifestyle with credit, getting them in deep holes they don't know how to get out of."

The crisis, Cheryl says, is families are not taught how money works. "In school, we can learn all there is to know about math and chemistry but we are not taught basic Money 101," she says. "People are very capable of learning the secrets to money – the same secrets the wealthy have known for years – if they were privy to the right kind of education. That's where we are helping fill the gap."

Cheryl is grateful to work in an environ­ment where she can become the best she can possibly be. "Yes, the money is great and has allowed me to do a lot for my family," she says. "But it's how I feel every day when I look in the mirror that counts the most. I know I have become somebody I can be proud of. I have worked very hard to become the kind of person people want to emulate; and that means everything to me."

What's Your Definition of True Success?
Growing up, Sebastien Beaudry of Quebec couldn't imagine doing anything but excelling in sports. "I was very bad at school," remembers Sebastien, "but I loved sports. I knew I wanted to be somebody, and I thought cycling semiprofessionally was the answer," he continues.
As a teenager and into his early 20s, Sebastien focused on getting better at what he thought was his ticket to success. But he soon realized there wasn't much money at his competition level, so he settled for a job at his local bank. "At the bank, they expected me to be serious about life and about business," Sebastien says. "I was young and just couldn't see myself doing that for the rest of my life. I wanted more for myself than being locked into a job." That's when he found Primerica.

"Before Primerica, I thought I needed to have beautiful cars, a nice home and other material things in order to be successful. I was focused on making myself happy and not so much on the people around me." He soon realized, however, that success in Primerica is more than having a great income and enjoying the benefits of financial freedom.

"Primerica showed me that if I wanted true success, I needed to stop focusing on what I wanted and start focusing on helping others succeed," he says. "I realized that all the great leaders in the company – the ones making great incomes and living their dream lives – were more excited about helping their team and the families in their community reach their goals than they were about their own dreams. I wanted to be like them!"

Together with wife Kathie, Sebastien is determined to share the same opportunity that changed their lives with as many people as possible. "Everyone has a 'moment' when their life changes," explains Sebastien. "It's one thing to miss that moment because you didn't make the decision. It's another to miss it because you didn't know about it!"

It Starts with Leadership
For his entire life, Bill Whittle of Louisiana has been in the business of developing people. For years he was a high school teacher and head basketball coach. When he turned his attention to starting his Primerica business, the rules for success were the same, only the venue was dif­ferent. "In Primerica, you are still coaching," Bill says. "It all starts with leadership. Every skill in your arsenal is focused on how to bring people from where they are to where they need to be."

Bill says coaching is nothing more than people development. "Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, said the job of a coach is to breed belief in your players. It's no different at Primerica. It's also about teaching the fundamentals and being patient with them while they develop."

The one thing that everyone wants is a higher quality of life, and that comes down to two issues: time and money. Bill had neither as a coach. "I didn't ever see that changing over time in that profession," Bill says. "That's why I made the change, and I'm so glad I did." "When I got started in Primerica, teachers were struggling and they are still struggling," Bill adds. "Having a job is not good enough. In today's market nothing is secure. Part-time income once was a luxury. Today it's a practi­cally a necessity. Having your own business is something you almost need to do if you want the life that you really want to have."

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FACE to FACE with John Addison and Rick Williams

Premier Business Magazine, Fall 2007

When John Addison and Rick Williams took Primerica's helm at the end of 1999, some said their Co-CEO experiment would never work. Here's how wrong they were.

In 1999 the company paid $431 million in commissions to its 79,000-member sales force. In 2007, compensation is on track to approach $700 million to slightly more than 100,000 repre­sentatives. The company has created more than 50 million-dollar earners – almost half of them since 2000. In 2006, it issued 384,000 term policies with a face amount of more than $87 bil­lion. In 1999, mutual fund sales were $2.9 billion. This year sales will exceed $4 billion. Debt consolidation loans have essentially doubled since 1999. And the best is yet to come.

PB: What makes your relationship work?
JOHN: I would just say it's the trust, respect and the fact that we genuinely like each other. Where we were born and raised, where we went to college, our skill sets – if you look at us as two distinct human beings, we could not be more different, which I think is part of what makes it work. And we have a common vision for what we want to accomplish here, yet we spend just as much time shooting the breeze with one another about life and family as we do about business. It's a unique relationship. Rick is very much the analytical person who will listen to all the scenarios, and I am very much of the ready-fire-aim type of personality. And I really think that makes things work much better.
RICK: It's hard for me to add to that. Everything that John said is just so true. The highlight of my day is when John walks across the hall to my office or when my secretary tells me he is on the phone.

PB: Rick, what is John's greatest strength?
RICK: Besides being just an incredible person with a tremendous amount of integrity, caring and love for people, he's obviously a great leader and motivator, not to mention an intuitive and strategic thinker.

PB: John, what is Rick's greatest strength?
JOHN: I've told our sales force many times, and it's the absolute truth: I don't care who we're meeting with about the numbers – Rick is the smartest guy in the room. The world is filled with a lot of smart, uncar­ing people, but Rick is just a good guy, a good person, fundamentally at the core a decent, good man. Rick goes about living his life doing things that, in my mind, show a far greater strength than his intelligence.

PB: How do you split your roles?
JOHN: For financial matters, people go to Rick, and when it deals with the sales force or the convention, I'm your guy. But we really do everything together. Rick always keeps me up to date about what's going on, and sometimes he has to force me to sit down and listen to him about financial information. But I think we accentuate the strengths of each other, and it helps mitigate each other's weaknesses. It helps us get the organization to the right place. I couldn't imagine doing it any other way.
RICK: We do more than keep each other informed. Going back to my comment about John being the intuitive, strategic thinker, which he very much is, I have a white board that is full of a bunch of numbers and scenarios and I want to go over them with him, but I also want his input. John and I are the yin and yang of the brain, and it just works.

PB: Why is it important not to become complacent with success? John, you say that you're either building momentum or losing it. What do you mean by that?
JOHN: This is a business that whenever you let your foot off the gas, whenever you cool the engines, Murphy's Law can take over and make a mess of things. I'm a big believer that you need to keep showing up and getting better. I learned that years ago by watching Art Williams. Art knew that every two months or so you had to have something new and exciting to deliver to people.
RICK: That's one of the benefits to having two CEOs; it takes two people to maintain that energy level. When one person is lagging, the other is there to push harder, and it makes us both better at maintain­ing an energy level to keep things moving forward.

PB: What has been your greatest reward since be­ing with Primerica? Can you point to one moment that stands out?
RICK: When John and I took over in 1999, we had a field – leadership meeting here in Atlanta in the first part of 2000. And the overwhelm­ing response the field gave us was all we needed to know that we had something great on our hands. I'm still so grateful for the vote of confidence they gave us that day, because we needed it.
JOHN: No. 1 is feeling like what I do every day, and what I have done every day in business for my adult life, makes a difference in people's lives. Among all of my human frailties, the one thing that I feel I bring to the table is a genuine love for this business, and therefore I feel a trust has developed through the years with the sales force. To be able to do what you do and know that you will make a positive difference in people's lives is huge. Secondly, it's the memories; it's the relationships. My tenure here is not just a piece of my life; it's a very significant part of my life. It's deeper than just business, a job and a career.

PB: What gets you out of bed every morning?
JOHN: I want to get up every day and have fun. I get up every day with the mindset that I want to have a good time today. And I want to go out and do something exciting and invigorating. I don't want to just get up and exist. People have asked me many times how long I intend on doing this. My goodness, long-range planning for me is where I'm going for lunch. All I know right now is I'm having a tremendous time doing this. I also want to make memories. I want to do things that go into that book of memories you build in a very short life. I just want to get up, have fun, and do something new and challenging.
RICK: It's the relationships I have here and the sense of enjoyment I get from them. Secondly, the fact that what we are doing collec­tively as a company is affecting the lives of others; it gives me a great sense of accomplishment and joy knowing that we really are making a difference.

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30 Years of Making a Difference

Primerica has built its business by helping average families make the most of their money and provide security for the future.

Premier Business Magazine, Fall 2007

Saddled with consumer debt, lacking proper Iife insurance coverage for their families with little or no savings, the middle-income market is in desperate need of help. Forget about saving money for retirement, many families are treading water just to stay afloat and are one layoff away from losing everything. And with more financial-services companies looking for larger profits from affluent investors, many middle-income families are being abandoned with few choices for where to turn for help.

For almost 30 years, Primerica has taken the road less traveled in the financial-services industry. Through its network of more than 100,000 licensed, independent representatives. the company has built its business by helping average families make the most of their money while providing security for the future.

The largest financial-services marketing organization in North America, Primerica provides financial products and services, including term life insurance, mutual funds variable annuities, loans, long-term care insurance and pre-paid legal services to some 6 mil­lion clients, primarily in the United States and Canada. The company also operates in Spain, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Primerica proposes that its clients "buy term and invest the difference," a phrase that is so important to the company that it has its own abbreviation: BTID. Since term life insurance is less expensive than the whole-life policies that many insurers advocate the savings allow families to buy higher face value policies for lower monthly rates. With their savings, cli­ents can systematically save and invest in other investment vehicles — such as mutual funds or IRAs — also offered through Primerica.

Primerica by the Numbers

• Serves 6 million clients in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Spain
• More than 100,000 licensed representatives
• Securities clients have more than $35 billion in assets under management through Primerica
• Placed in force more than $87 billion in life insurance in 2006
• An average of $2 million in death claim benefits is paid every day
• Paid out $631 million in compensation in 2006

Laying the Foundation
Art Williams, the company's founder, had a vision that simple term life insurance, not cash value insurance, was the right product for middle-income families, but it wasn't what the life insurance industry was selling in the 1960s and 70s. Emboldened by what he saw as an injustice in 1977, he founded the company that would provide financial services to middle-income families with a direct sales approach — going directly to the warm market of friends family and co-workers. Art was the heart and soul of our business," says John Addison who, with Rick Williams, has served as Co-CEO of Primerica since 1999. Addison and Williams grew up in the A.L. Williams company. "You could sell products, do what's right for the consumer, and also build your own business," Addison says. "It was the right place, the right time, the right concept and the right execution.” A. L. Williams sold the company to Primerica in 1989.

"Our view is that you always need to keep true to the principles and cornerstones of your history."
– John Addison, Co-CEO, Primerica

When John and Rick took over, their main objective was to take the best of what the com­pany did in the 80s and 90s, and merge it into the 21st century. They focused the business in a very strong way toward recruiting and distribution growth and created the message, incentives and environment that would eventually drive toward that distribution growth.

Looking at the dynamics and challenges facing middle-income families in the 21st century, people are less-insured than ever before. This is due in part to the evolution of the life insurance industry. In the 1960s, and 1970s the industry was very active, and whole-life policies were all the rage. There were life insur­ance agents on every street corner it seemed. Yet, as the industry's recruiting efforts became less successful, due in part to significant bar­riers into the industry, the number of agents declined. As a result, from 1977 to 1997 the number of whole-life insurance policies written declined from 86 percent to 38 percent. According to GAMA International Journal, a professional-development journal for the financial-services industry the industry has lost 80,000 affiliated agents in the past 30 years, and the average age of today's agents is 56. The one glaring difference? There are not as many people out there selling cash value insur­ance. "Although families were sold the wrong product 30 years ago, at least families were insured." Williams says. "Today, 91.4 mil­lion people don't have life insurance. We are making, headway on changing that number."

Primerica's Global Reach
Since 2000, Primerica, operating as Citisoluciones in Spain, has been helping families find the solutions they need to reach their goals and dreams. "The Spanish market is wide open for what we can do for families," says CitiSoluciones President, Javier Monedero. "The reality many people are facing right now is they have too much debt, no savings and no income protection. As a result, they have no hope of becoming financially independent."
He continues, "Right now, almost half of the 45 million people currently living in Spain are earning below 1,000 € (approx. $1,331 USD) per month and another 2 million are unemployed. The need for Citisoluciones has never been greater!"

• Middle-income families are drowning in a sea of debt without a meaningful game plan for getting out of it.
• Average credit card debt per household is $9,525.
  (USA Today)

Middle-income families are drowning in a sea of debt without a meaningful game plan for getting out of it. Long gone are the financial lessens of frugality our parents and grandparents handed down, which said you didn't buy something unless you saved for it — and paid in cash. Want and need were clearly defined then, and if you didn't have the money to buy something, you didn't buy it. But today, with the powerful duo of media and easy access to consumer credit, we are bombarded with marketing messages telling, us we can have it all, right now. The message of sacrifice has been traded for that of instant gratification, and all we have to say is "put it on the plastic." But the bill for financing one's Iifestyle with credit is coming due — and many are not able to pay it.

If you are in your 30s and you think Social Security is going to be there to give you a comfy retirement 35 years from now, you need to read more news. The same goes for pensions. Back when our parents and grandparents were working, there was always the feeling the company would take care of you, and after 30 years your pension, would be waiting. Combine that with your Social Security and savings, that was enough for a comfortable retirement. But two legs of that three-legged stool are broken. People are concerned about the future of Social Security, and huge corporations are defaulting on their pension funds. The burden of saving and investing has shifted from the company squarely to the shoulders of the individual. They have to know more about it, and that's where Primerica comes in.

And many are starting to think that they may never be able to retire. A USA Today study noted that 43 percent of those asked plan to work after "retirement." But what about the younger generation, are they see­ing the need to save? Not so much. You have generations now growing up saying. “I want it, and I want it now," and the mechanism for getting what they want i