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What is Your Why?

What is Your Why?

I recently saw a short video of Damon John of Shark Tank fame talking about why. He said that he didn’t find success until he found his why. Why we start a business and what we want to accomplish in that business cannot have success without your why. Your why becomes your passion which is a necessary key ingredient for success. Money cannot simply be your why. What happens when you reach your money goal? Do you go out of business? It is your why that keeps you moving forward.

It is imperative that we as business owners define the “why”. Why am I doing this? What is the real reason that gets me up, excited and passionate about working in my business. Maybe it’s helping people by protecting them with great insurance products. Maybe it’s being able to take care of your family. Maybe it is the promise of financial freedom. Maybe it’s building a team of professionals to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. You have to keep the “why” in front of you every day. Otherwise, we fold like a lawn chair when things get tough.

Here is the reason why it is important. You will have rough days, weeks and sometimes months and years. You will want to give up. But if you have a strong enough reason, you will be able to persevere through those tough times. In my experience of training over 1,000 insurance agents over almost 25 years, it is the people in the agent’s life that are sometimes their biggest enemies to their business. They tell them to “give up, quit, told you it wouldn’t work” or “go get a real job”. You know the job with your name on your shirt. See a lot of people, even the ones that love us, deep down don’t want us to succeed, because they don’t have the inner drive that it takes to succeed. They are full of self-doubt and fear. If you succeed, it can make them feel vulnerable that you are able to do what they only dream of or wish they could do. You need to surround yourself with like-minded successful people to help you get through the tough times. People that are happy when you succeed not jealous. I’m not saying to forget your lifelong friends and family, just insulate yourself from the negative. Remember you do become those people you hang out with most often. Your why helps you stay positive to reach that ultimate goal.

Sit down today and define your why. Here’s to your success!

“If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy”.-–Dale Carnegie

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Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, grandfather of 2, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, employee benefit specialist, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger, author and team leader with over 30 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.

29 Responses to What is Your Why?

  • True words Tim. Thanks for sharing.

  • Just watched a great TED talk by Simon Sinek the author of “Start With Why”. People are drawn to businesses and individuals that have a WHY that agrees with their own. Interesting stuff!

  • Tim
    Great advice
    The why helps you through the valleys no matter how long they may last
    Reminding ourselves of our ultimate mission – to make a positive difference – is so important

  • Great read. I have seasoned agent in my office that has told me numerous times that “the successful agents have wanted to quit up to three times a week, but they didn’t because of their why”.

    • Malcolm
      So true
      We need to refocus several times a day on the why because it is bigger than us
      Focusing on us is demoralizing and it does not take long
      Everyone has their own mission and it changes over time due to circumstances
      The purpose of the mission for me is to bring light into a darkened world
      That is an eternal mission thank God

    • Malcolm and Don, beautifully stated, thank you both for sharing

  • That is such an important question. Since your why should be your passion since passion drives us to continue when the going gets rough. When I question prospective members for my team, I really seek to determine if they have a passion since then I know they will have the drive necessary to succeed.

    • Roger what a great practice, we should all be more concerned with new team member’s “why” than their resume. Thank you for sharing.

  • I only had one why.
    How can I keep this customer satisfied?
    Which is not a why.
    But a how?
    Shit story

  • Why: I can cater to Annuity Agents and Advisors while helping consumers at the same time. I’ve yet to have an Annuity Agent look at all we have to offer and be able to say it’s not different as in better and wouldn’t be of help.

  • I’m passionate about helping the minority based customers in my community. I also enjoy being a broker and partnering with other agents to expand business. My why: to insure and broker more African Americans then in other firm in the history of Life Insurance.

  • Excellent read, we all need to be reminded of why we are in this business.

  • Your “why” determines your success level.

  • I spent a good portion of my weekend thinking about this very topic. People take action for two reasons – they are capable, and they are motivated. Finding our “why’s” will fuel that motivation for long term success. Thank you for sharing Tim.

  • Hi Tim,

    I love your article about finding the “Why” in what we do in business. I have only been in the Insurance business for 9 months and trying to figure my Why. I think when I form it I will feel more comfortable at what I am doing and stop spinning my wheels. Thanks once again.

  • Hi, Tim, there is much truth in these words…
    Let us also be mindful that are “WHY” can change with the passing of time and the adjustment of circumstances. Food for thought!

  • Excellent point Veronica. Our “why” can and will change with time. Thanks for sharing!

  • Why? Because we all serve as some purpose in this world, that’s what makes us unique. Why because I care about my community and the people in it and surrounding it.

  • I have the care and passion to help clients or just someone that doesn’t understand what I do day in and day out and share my experience. Just think my wife pays me for it too!

  • Barbara and Jerry, I am just curious. If everything became incredibly difficult in your business and this industry, would your “why” push you past the hurdles daily?

  • I’m committed to preserving the legacy of my client and ensuring their family will not have to deal with final expenses on top of mourning their loss. It’s just one of those jobs where you hope to never have to deal with a death claim but it is an overwhelming feeling of comfort in knowing you were responsible in keeping a roof over that family’s head and food on their table.

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