I remember...
It was during the last day of the 2010 Annual Meeting in Vancouver, my first year as a Million Dollar Round Table Qualifying Member. In between sobs while listening to Main Platform Speaker Ross Shafer share on the topic of "Are You Relevant?", I realized my shortcomings as parent to my 4 very young children, putting too much time in work and not enough time with them. As soon as I got home, I apologized to them and promised that everything is going to change. Since then, half of my Saturdays and my whole Sundays are intentionally set aside for my family.
Time flies...
Last June at the 2019 Annual Meeting, another full circle occurred in my MDRT life. Ross Shafer was to be one of the Main Platform speakers again. Past President Brian Heckert, CLU, CHFC, AIF® did me a huge favor by bringing me backstage into the green room to meet Ross in person. I was able to share with him the enormous impact his talk made in my life 10 years ago. He was very touched and said my story made his day.
An exchange of emails…
Sep 17, 7:40 AM
Hi Ross,
Thank you for allowing me that quick chat with you in the green room last June in Miami. That was a full circle MDRT story for me. From 2010 in Vancouver and seeing you on stage again in 2019, 10 years after. From 2010, I qualified for 10 straight years for MDRT which now makes me a Qualifying and Lifetime Member. And you were instrumental in making that happen. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Janet
Sep 17, 8:16 AM
Janet,
Thank you for your kind email. I am unbelievably gratified that you are giving me some of the credit… but that drive has always been inside you, Janet. It takes consistent effort and discipline to accomplish all you have done - and I honor those traits (Qualifying and Lifetime Member in MDRT).
So now, you have a responsibility to be that kind of inspiration for someone else. Be the catalyst for another person’s success and one day that person, or persons, will write you a kind letter so that you will feel as good as I do now.
Kindest regards to you and yours,
Ross
I believe each individual was created and placed on this earth with the purpose of being an influence to others. If each of us is conscious of that, we can use it to provide positive impact in the lives of many.
linkiNG you to opportunities,
* Brian D. Heckert, CLU, ChFC, owner of Financial Solutions Midwest LLC, an independent financial services practice in Nashville, Ill., was named the 90th President of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), The Premier Association of Financial Professionals®. Heckert led the association of more than 43,000 international members for a one-year term, effective Sept. 1, 2015.
https://www.mdrt.org/brian-d-heckert-clu-chfc-named-president-of-mdrt/
*Ross Shafer has authored nine business books on growth, motivation, customer experience, and accountability and won international stand-up comedy competitions. He’s earned six Emmys as a network talk and game show host. He is a keynote speaker and leadership coach in the areas of market share growth, customer friction, and workforce motivator.