For two of Insular Life’s (InLife) top unit managers, being a financial advisor runs in the family. Second-generation financial advisors Julmer Noro of Agila Financial Team General Insurance Agency, Inc., and Julianne Nicole Benitez of EYJ Insurance Agency, Inc. had wanted different career paths, but fate eventually led them to become financial advisors to help Filipinos secure their families’ future.
In separate interviews, they said that passion to guide others in their financial journey, and dedication to motivate their team members are the key ingredients to becoming successful unit managers. Julmer and Julianne were recently recognized as InLife’s Top Unit Manager of the Year; and third place, Unit Manager of the Year, respectively.
No specific degrees required
Julmer was a chef in a hotel in Cebu when his mother Mercy Gurrea asked him to join her team of financial advisors. It was in 2014, and Julmer had been working for only a year after finishing his degree in Culinary Arts. His dream was to work abroad, but fate had its way of changing the course of his life.
“At first, it was only me, my brother, and sister-in-law, who ran the agency. I didn’t really plan on staying for long. I just wanted to help my mom. But after seeing how noble the work of being a financial advisor is, I stayed,” Julmer said.
“InLife is very client-centered and stands on a mission to help Filipinos. InLife is a 100 percent Filipino-owned company and the only mutual company here in the Philippines,” he added.
Julmer recalled that when one of his mother’s clients passed away, he saw the value of encouraging people to invest in insurance. He realized that the check that his mother gave to the bereaved family helped ease their financial burden. “We don’t know what will happen in the future, so it’s better to be prepared,” he said.
Now counting eight years as a financial advisor, Julmer described his profession as a fulfilling job that is dedicated to doing good. “Our financial products are designed to do good. This is the only business where your goal is to help people and, at the same time, build yourself up.”
Julianne, on the other hand, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication from the University of the Philippines. Months before her graduation, she was very determined to start her own events company.
Julianne said her recruiters were her mother Elvira who has been in the insurance business since 1987 and her sister Ysabel Victoria who joined their agency in 2012.
“At first, I thought that all they ever talk about is work. Eventually, it intrigued me because they were living a life that I imagined myself living when I become an adult. They were traveling, shopping, and bringing home pasalubong, all while fulfilling their mission of securing the lives of Filipinos. I realized that they get to work but, at the same time, have fun as well,” she said.
While Julianne’s mom agreed to support her in starting her own events company, her sister asked her if she was ready to engage in a highly stressful career.
“Events management can be rewarding, but it can also be taxing on your time and health. So, my mother and sister asked me if I wanted to give being a financial advisor a shot. They said that if I really want to have the freedom to enjoy life, then I should join them. I had a lot of fears and doubts at first, but they both had very strong convincing powers. So, I joined them, and it’s been almost four years now that I have been a financial advisor,” Julianne said.
She explained that in no time, she found fulfillment in being a financial advisor who helps clients prepare for potential problems as they reach their financial goals.
“As I talked to more clients from different generations, with different goals and priorities in life, I began to understand how extremely fulfilling this calling can be. You get to talk to millennials whose eyes twinkle when they talk about building their own business and traveling the world. You get to talk to parents or grandparents, who value security and want to make sure that their children are in good hands. The best part is that you get to do your share in providing security to one family at a time,” Julianne said.
She encouraged others to pursue a career as a financial advisor. “If you have the heart for service, if you want to learn how to improve your financial habits, and if you really want to enjoy what life has to offer, then this is where you should be.”
Julianne also expressed pride in being a part of InLife. “It brings me so much pride and joy that InLife has 111 years of experience in financial protection, savings and investment, and retirement. I am very confident to say that InLife is a Filipino company for the Filipino people,” she said.
Work-life balance and unlimited income
Julmer further explained that his job gives him more time to be with his loved ones, and the opportunity to earn more.
“When I was a chef, I didn’t have time for my family. As a financial advisor, I can enjoy life with more time for my wife and kids. I also avail of travel incentives from InLife. We have been to France and South Korea,” Julmer shared.
“The income depends on the efforts you put in. So, the more you work hard, the more you earn,” he added.
In winning InLife’s Top Unit Manager of the Year award, Julmer said that it was the result of the combined efforts of their more than 100 financial advisors who focused on what needs to be done instead of thinking about the challenges due to the pandemic.
Julmer also credited InLife for providing world-class training. “I would make sure that my team would attend all the training sessions. I would monitor them, and also train them based on what I have learned from InLife and on how they absorb information. There are people who need visualization, others, reading materials. There are also those who need actual practice,” he said, adding that he also focuses on win-win meetings and one-on-one coaching sessions.
Similarly, Julianne credited her team and the entire EYJ Insurance Agency for the recognition.
“The award inspires me to do better as a manager. I have realized that I wake up every day not just for myself, but for the people who have put their trust in me. I want my team to also experience the life that I continue to have through InLife. This award also serves as a challenge for us to prove that we didn’t win this because of luck, but because of the team culture that we have cultivated in the company,” Julianne said.
InLife hopes to multiply its top unit managers’ service-oriented profession as financial advisors. To become financial advisors, simply attend InLife’s monthly online Winners Circle Business Opportunity Forum; take the licensure exam and get licensed; and complete the basic training program. Visit the InLife website for more details.
