Coming from years in business, I brought an entrepreneurial mindset into the life insurance industry. It helped me understand the pulse and pain points of fellow business owners — many of whom are now my clients.

Q: Why is unlearning the “boss” mentality critical for success?

Business owners tend to be very transactional in their relationships with people. Our conversations, whether with an investor, a client, or a supplier, almost always start with the end in mind. Winning in negotiations is paramount. Every person you meet is a means to YOUR end. This aspect of our competitive nature as business owners will not translate to success in the life insurance industry.

In my eight years as a financial advisor, I am most proud of the relationships I’ve built, nurtured, and maintained. This is a business that serves our clients first, placing their best interests at the forefront of every conversation, and providing solutions that enable them to prosper.

Q: What key mindset shifts helped you grow?

Coming from years in business, I brought an entrepreneurial mindset into the life insurance industry. It helped me understand the pulse and pain points of fellow business owners — many of whom are now my clients. But what truly made a difference was learning to listen without judgment. I always ask about their savings, investments, assets, liabilities, and past financial decisions. I may not always agree with how they’re positioned, but my role isn’t to disagree. It’s to ask the right questions and offer solutions that genuinely add value.

Over time, my mindset shifted. I stopped being fixated on numbers and became more self-aware of my service duty. As an MDRT, qualifying is just the beginning. Maintaining that level and striving toward Court of the Table or Top of the Table are not just the following steps, but a purposeful and necessary progression.

Q: Share how being coachable and client-focused contributed to your success.

Mentorship only works when both mentor and mentee are deliberate and committed. I’m fortunate to have had mentors who truly listened before offering feedback. In my first year, I committed two hours every Monday to be mentored by a Lifetime MDRT member. We started out as a group of five advisors. After a few weeks, I was the only one left. Each session focused on high-level strategies to deliver the best solutions for clients. We broke down every conversation I had — what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve. That experience helped set me on the path to MDRT.

Now, when I mentor others, I always emphasize the importance of having a genuinely interested mindset. I spend the first 30 minutes getting to know clients. That connection builds trust, and success follows when clients feel their needs are truly understood.

Q: What’s the best advice to give someone used to calling the shots?

As business owners, we already possess the skills and mindset that provide a strong foundation for becoming successful financial advisors. However, as advisors, we must embrace that our clients’ interests come first. Customer centricity is at the core of what we do, and it requires a conscious, deliberate effort to truly understand our clients. To achieve this, the “boss” within us must become self-aware of what we need to unlearn to acquire the competencies that make us impactful advisors, and remain teachable and coachable, regardless of how successful we become, so we can continue providing meaningful value to those we serve.

From entrepreneur to advisor: Unlearning the boss’s mindset

Transcript

Author(s):

Louis Andrew Gimenez