In October 2007, I attended my very first Top of the Table Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. There were about 200 top producers from around the world, and the meeting was so great.

Top of the Table members were very friendly and welcomed me as a first timer.

As much as it was a wonderful experience, I knew something was missing. I was welcomed by Top of the Table members. We took photos, but then what?

There were many from other countries who must know the magic of continuing Top of the Table qualifications.

At the same time, my English was poor, which was the reason I hesitated to talk to them. But what would I lose by approaching Top of the Table members with my broken English?

So, with the mission to give it one more try, I decided to attend a Focus Session with no interpretation. I chose the topics about employee benefits because I needed to confirm if what I was doing was right and if there was room for me to improve.

As I entered the session room, there were four other members, and the table host was Mark Hanna, who was the Top of the Table Chair that year and the MDRT President in 2017.

I tried my best to explain my practice and how I do what I do. It must have been less than a few minutes, but it felt like hours to me.

When I finished, members shared their comments, and Mark applauded. It was such a relief to know that what I was doing was right, and my belief became certainty. This would not have been possible without my commitment to give it one more try!

I was determined to give it one more try, and four years later, in 2011, I was able to earn the first worldwide championship of Prudential Life Insurance.

Later that year, I was watching Mark Hanna on the Main Platform stage. That day I wanted to be on the Main Platform of the Annual Meeting to share my story and encourage my peers to give it one more try.

Believe it or not, that dream came true here in Miami. How wonderful!

I want to thank Mark for giving me the courage to do better.

I encourage all of you to gather your courage, to give it one more try and approach someone to learn and earn the one little secret to go beyond.

Lastly, congratulations to all for qualifying for MDRT and coming to the Annual Meeting. It was such a great decision you made.

For further growth and step-up, don’t just take pictures with famous members, but please have a conversation and seek advice. I can guarantee you that even the short time you share with that member may change your life.

The magic phrase for me was to give it one more try.

Kou Takaku is a 14-year MDRT member with five Court of the Table and two Top of the Table qualifications from Tokyo, Japan.