The power of moms

The first day of motherhood for Patricia Vaca Pedroza didn’t exactly go as planned.

On a Saturday in late September, Vaca Pedroza brought her daughter, Ivana, into the world, and from that point on everything was different.

The seven-year MDRT member was supposed to be meeting with a client that day, but instead she found herself racing to the hospital, Vaca Pedroza recently recalled in an episode of the Podcast MDRT Latinoamérica. Even in that incredible moment, Vaca Pedroza wanted to keep her word to the client.

“The first thing I said to my husband was, ‘Please take my cell phone, support me and write to the client that I am not going,’” Vaca Pedroza remembered.

After returning to work following her delivery, Vaca Pedroza had an epiphany. “It was at that moment when I said, ‘I need an assistant.’”

Moms throughout MDRT shared similar stories about the challenges motherhood brings, but they say that opportunity also comes along with the sleepless nights, trips to the doctor and the stress of bringing another person into the world. Motherhood dictates a thoroughly structured approach and has taught many advisors the art of professional discipline. They say it’s also a golden ticket to a new world of potential clients.

Winning with other moms

Guiying Han, a five-year MDRT member, said her “double identity” as a mom helped develop her business.

A big part of that development is through the numerous mom and parent groups she joined after having her first child. Han said not all groups are formal, and some are simply moms of children living in the same neighborhood. She’s also joined groups for moms who had babies at the same time, parents of kids at the same school and moms who share information about prenatal exams, among other topics.

“Many women start to become risk-averse and have a need for insurance when they have children,” she said. “The double identity gives me more access to the prospects.”

Huang Xiaodan, a six-year MDRT member, also joined mom groups, and while she didn’t intend to prospect initially and said she never posts anything about insurance in online forums, the other members of the groups are aware of her profession.

“When these mothers consider insurance plans for their children, I am often their first thought,” she said. “I believe this happens because they recognize certain qualities in me they appreciate. In my view, when people willingly engage with you and allow you into their lives, that’s tremendously valuable.”

Guiying takes it further by leveraging relationships on social media, posting her own articles and short videos on apps like We Media and WeChat. She often shares stories about clients whose children were injured, noting that the insurance policy guaranteed quality care.

“I will give an example of my friend whose 9-month-old child fell out of the bed, and the parents were distraught,” she said. “But because the child’s mother had an accident policy with me, the child was taken to a good private hospital for quick medical treatment.”

Both Guiying and Huang said these relationships with other mothers is all about earning trust in the community. The confidence from others is “key to closing the deal,” Guiying said.

She added that moms online share advice on things like prenatal care, child illnesses and other parenting topics. “Beyond the insurance, we are comforting and consoling each other,” Guiying said. “This emotional connection enhances their trust in me, and they are more likely to become my clients.”

Huang said her mom group covers an array of relevant topics, such as expected delivery dates and the pros and cons of postpartum care centers versus live-in caregivers. Her preference is for care centers, and she lets her mom groups know.

“I share my viewpoints, factors to consider when choosing a center and my experience finding a suitable one,” Huang said. She also created a comprehensive interview question bank for prospective caregivers to test their skill and compatibility.

“Some moms even invited me to join their caregiver video interviews,” she said, highlighting the goodwill established through those relationships.

How to manage it all?

Vaca Pedroza learned on the first day of motherhood that flexibility is key to striking the balance between work and family. It’s a muscle that moms get used to flexing as they build a book of clients and raise a family.

The advice a lot of moms give: Plan for the unexpected.

Hatsumi Nakano, a 12-year MDRT member, said she set a goal of prioritizing family over work and committed to saving evenings and weekends for her loved ones. But motherhood is an unpredictable business, she said.

“You know, when one child gets sick, it will likely pass on to another child, then another, and will probably ruin my entire month,” Nakano said. “So, from the beginning, I made it a point to finish my tasks two months ahead of schedule.”

Paola Salazar Sarmiento, a seven-year MDRT member, said that although two of her three children are toddlers, they understand when she explains to them that she’s working and needs to focus.

“I like my children to see that their mom works, but there are times when we do not control the issues of children, like during illnesses,” she said.

Unexpected times of sickness and other distractions notwithstanding, Vaca Pedroza draws support from structuring her agenda through the practice of timeboxing. This involves establishing a set amount of time for tasks on her calendar to better manage time and prioritize responsibilities.

“I have a calendar where I mark items like a traffic light of green, yellow and red,” she said.

While organization and discipline are crucial to balancing work and parenting, the other side of the equation involves rest, according to Magali Bernal, a 12-year MDRT member.

“I realized that when I don’t rest, I don’t work and everything goes wrong,” she said. “I start the day badly without rest. No matter how many appointments I have and even with a great team, if I’m not well-rested, it doesn’t work.”

Bernal said she remains focused on giving her best whether she’s in front of a client or her daughter. “When I am with Martina, I am with Martina, and my world is for her,” she said. “When I am with my clients, the whole world disappears, and I really focus on my clients.”

Key to staying organized

Establishing strategies for staying on target is one thing, but keeping those habits in place over time is a completely different skill, according to MDRT members.

Vaca Pedroza said that building a home office was critical for her success as both a mom and advisor. Working from home with her daughter by her side is “the most beautiful thing that has happened to me,” she said. “We have two work chairs and two workspaces, so she can be here with me.”

It’s all about building a supportive team for Salazar Sarmiento. In addition to her personal office, she has back-office support and a global support team who helps facilitate the work. “There are really three Paolas working there,” she said.

She also draws support and inspiration from her husband and her mother, who help take turns with child care responsibilities. Salazar Salmiento also works with a therapist and life coach, which she said, “helps a lot.”

For Bernal, there are three big tools in the toolkit that she couldn’t do without.

The first comes in the form of inspiration from a book she read by Oso Trava titled “Do What Matters.”

“I have put it into practice in a lot of my life because I try to spend 100% of my day in green time for what is important to me,” she said. “I focus on activities in which I add value, and those that add value make me happy.”

The second of Bernal’s three tools is a laser focus on key performance indicators, such as appointments booked from calls, how many closings resulted from those appointments, the number of annual review meetings with clients and new deals generated from those sessions. The third tool that is critical to keeping the business afloat is Bernal’s commercial assistant who operates like a virtual office manager.

“She is practically my right hand in commercial matters,” she said.

Mom powers activated

Time management, people management, and maintaining balance in one’s personal and professional skills can be gained through practice and repetition, but it’s the intangible skills of motherhood — empathy, patience and understanding — that are most often seen as a superpower.

Mia Zolinda Dela Cruz Ragasa, MBA, a 13-year MDRT member, said she draws on maternal instincts to nurture, trust and form deeper connections to build stronger relationships with co-workers and clients.

“As a mother of three, I’ve learned the importance of listening and understanding before acting,” Ragasa said. “With my children, I focus not on their words or how they say it, but also on the emotions behind them.”

She added that motherhood has also steered her approach toward working with clients and mentoring young advisors, teaching her “patience, flexibility and how to encourage others during tough times.”

“It has shown me the value of celebrating even small wins, which helps build trust and motivation,” Ragasa said.

That motherly instinct kicked in with one client who was upset about a decline in his fund’s performance. “Instead of answering defensively, I remained patient and focused on calming him down,” she said.

Ragasa acknowledged the client’s feelings and met with him to further explain the fund’s history and reasons for the recent downturn. The two agreed on a plan to move forward. “Through this approach, I turned a potential conflict into a stronger relationship,” she said. “The client appreciated my effort and sincerity, reinforcing their trust in me as their financial advisor.”