When embarking on a new journey it's crucial to know what you're getting into before you start.

I think this is especially true for new Producers.

The insurance industry is ruthless and unforgiving. It will chew you up and spit you out and not think twice while doing it.

I wish I would have known what I was truly getting into when I started in this business 4 years ago.

So, I'm sharing with you now what to expect, what to avoid, and how to win the game.

Or, as I like to call it... The Producer's Journey.

Level 1: Uninformed Optimism

Ever heard the expression "rose colored glasses"? This is that stage.

You've just been hired. You see the money, the lifestyle, and the freedom that the life of a Producer offers.

The world is your oyster.

You've been successful in the past, so you expect nothing less in the future.

You see all of the upside and none of the downside.

You brainstorm and strategize world domination.

Level 2: Informed Pessimism

It's six months in and you have little to show for your efforts.

You've made dozens of calls to family and friends begging for business, with little response back.

You're beginning to truly understand the reality of what it's going to take to produce. You realize you're going to have to start eating shit and a bunch of it (cold calls, drop-ins, etc.).

Pessimism starts setting in.

You question if this is really worth the effort. You start looking for reasons to abandon ship.

Unfortunately, it gets worse.

Level 3: Valley of Despair

The lowest point of The Producer's Journey.

This is when most give up.

The pain is acute. Your cold calls have resulted in very little. Your goal that once seemed so close, now seems far away and unreachable.

The quickest way to end the discomfort is to quit and start something else.

Your old job doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

Level 4: Informed Optimism

You catch a few breaks, you unlock a few breakthroughs.

The hundreds of cold calls you've made begin to bring deals. The deals begin to add up. You actually have a "book" now.

The possibility of success begins to return.

Level 5: Success & Fulfillment

You did it.

You're officially a Producer. You have a solid book of business. You've gained the respect of your colleagues.

Here, the benefits are fully experienced and the cost of your sacrifice seem worth it.

You buy a new house, start putting money away, and begin mentoring new Producers.

Producing new business was once difficult and uncomfortable.

Now it's routine.

The Producer's Journey Is Like A Video Game (Sort Of)

You will progress from level to level until you reach The Valley of Despair.

The Valley of Despair is like the boss you must beat to continue on. Despite your best efforts you will fail, and fail, and fail again. But you must not quit. You must persevere.

While in The Valley of Despair you will be lured away by shiny objects like the idea of a quitting and starting over.

Don't.

Because, unlike in a video game, in real life you will have to start over from Level 1 on your new journey too. Once again entering into the same vicious cycle... from uninformed optimism... to informed pessimism... only to find yourself again in The Valley of Despair.

It's a trap.

Don't take the bait.

Keep going.

Persevere.

It is in persevering that you will find the unlock, finally beat the boss, and win the game once and for all.

Ok, That's It For This Week

Now, you know what lies ahead.

The Valley of Despair will come.

Stay the course. Win the game.

See you next Sunday.

Kick ass take names,

Maximus F. Revenue IV

P.S.

The Max Revenue Show is now live. You can find it wherever you listen to podcasts.

P.P.S.

As much as I'd love to take credit for the ideas above, I can't. This post was adapted from a podcast I listened to about the work of behavioral psychologists Don Kelley and Daryl Conner and their Emotional Cycle of Change model. I found it fascinating and extremely relevant. So, I pirated the idea and put my spin on it.

Hey, I may be a pirate... but at least I'm an honest one.