Jessyl Grace Patria-Torres, a six-year MDRT member from Camarines Sur, Philippines, has maintained a meaningful financial advising business by leaning into change, adapting to the demands of diverse markets, and staying grounded in her deeper purpose of service. 

What began as a search for purpose after years in the lab eventually became a journey across three vastly different regions of the Philippines, each with its own culture, rhythm and opportunities. Through it all, Torres listened, adapted, and led with heart.  

From lab coats to life plans 

Born and raised in Iligan City in Mindanao, one of the major islands in the southern Philippines, Torres was a government agency science scholar who earned a degree in Chemistry in 2009. She began her quality assurance and research career, evaluating export-bound products in a laboratory setting. 

While the job offered stability, its repetitive nature left her unfulfilled, as she spent most of her days deep in paperwork and seldom interacting with people. “As an extrovert and someone who’s always been driven by numbers, I dreamed of becoming an accountant when I was younger. I'm naturally drawn to business and love engaging with people.” 

Motherhood became a turning point. After giving birth to her son, Torres faced postpartum depression. Seeking deeper purpose and more meaningful interactions, she moved to Manila with her child to join her husband, a retired government uniformed personnel.  

In Manila, she briefly pursued a career in the call center industry, which gave her opportunities for engagement and genuine exchanges with others. After two years, a neighbor extended a life-changing invitation to attend a financial planning orientation.  

Torres walked into that room out of curiosity and left with clarity. For the first time, she saw a career that combined technical knowledge, interpersonal connection, and the opportunity to improve lives. “I resigned from my call center job without hesitation. It wasn’t just about wanting a change. It felt like a calling. I wanted to help others secure their future, guide families through important financial decisions, and build a career where purpose and impact go hand in hand.” 

Growing a practice with persistence and purpose 

Although Torres had a built-in network through her previous experience, she faced an early hurdle: many of her family and friends were not firm believers in insurance. With little encouragement from those closest to her, she knew she had to rely on her efforts to build trust and credibility. 

Starting her financial advising career in Manila, she quickly realized that success would demand resilience, discipline, and the willingness to approach new people daily. She mastered the fundamentals, including approaching strangers, delivering clear and relatable presentations, and confidently closing a sale even in a single meeting. 

“For me, every interaction was a chance to make a difference. Whether it was a quick chat with a government employee or a casual conversation during a break, I treated every encounter with genuine care.”  

Her early strategy was built on volume and value. She wrote letters to government offices, asked for opportunities to speak, and often presented to groups of about 20 employees. From these sessions, she consistently gained three to five new clients. Through this consistent, high-effort approach, she averaged around 70 new cases per year, qualified as a case counter, and slowly built the trust and momentum needed to grow her practice. 

Planting roots in Camarines Sur 

In 2019, Torres and her family moved to her husband’s hometown in Camarines Sur, a rural province in southern Luzon. As a native of the province, her husband helped her navigate the transition in her first year by serving as her Center of Influence (COI). He introduced her to his immediate relatives and neighbors, which helped her establish meaningful connections there. She then started building her client base and laid the groundwork for her own agency. 

Unlike Manila’s corporate energy, Camarines Sur has tight-knit communities shaped by shared experiences, including the constant threat of typhoons and flooding. Here, insurance wasn’t just about retirement or investment but survival and security. In 2020, just a year after her move to the province, Torres faced this reality when three powerful typhoons struck, leaving her newly established office flooded. “Somehow, that experience made me feel more rooted in the place and more connected to the community. It opened my eyes to how essential insurance is — not just as a financial product, but as a lifeline in times of crisis," she shares. 

Understanding the local risks, Torres tailored her message accordingly. “I took time to understand the local landscape and risks, especially the market’s existential vulnerability to natural calamities. With that insight, I didn’t present insurance as just a financial product. I positioned it as a critical shield for families. The message resonated when people saw how it applied to their everyday reality.” 

Torres arrived in the new community with challenges, but with the support of her COI and her willingness to immerse herself, she embraced the transition with the same adaptability that had fueled her success in the past. 

The power of people-centered advising 

At the heart of her success is her commitment to the 3Rs—relationships, referrals, and results. Even as she moved from Manila to Camarines Sur, Torres made it a point to nurture the relationships she built along the way. Her relocations could have made it easy to lose touch, but she stayed connected through consistent follow-ups and personal checkins and was always a reliable resource for her clients, whether they were starting small or planning for bigger goals.  

Many of her most loyal clients began with modest policies, such as a factory worker with ₱30,000 in coverage and a dentist securing retirement for his family. Today, 60% of her clients are high-net-worth individuals, including lawyers, doctors, and business executives across the markets in which she has built her practice, each relationship a testament to the lasting impact of her client-first approach, wherever life took her. 

Torres imparts a relevant reminder to any field: “Keep the integrity of the work. Continue the mission. Share your expertise.” 

 

Contact: MDRTeditorial@teamlewis.com