January 19th, 2021
It’s finally 2021 and I’m sure we can all agree 2020 looks better in the rear-view mirror. No matter how tiring the year seemed, I realize that not everyone had a “bad” year. In fact, I have spoken to quite a few agents who experienced an excellent year, from a business standpoint. Regardless of whether your business suffered or excelled, I would still wager to guess most people are ecstatic to move on from 2020 and are hopeful 2021 will be a better year.
I am a parent of teenagers who often finds myself reciting cliches about hard work, attitude, positivity, and generally trying to be a good person. Although most of my advice is
Scott Gilpin
Life Marketing Manager
800.541.6705
sound, I realize sometimes it might sound a little “corny” to a teenager. I wonder how much they actually listen and retain. Another insight I realized is sometimes I struggle to heed my own advice; so why would my kids. It might sound odd, but 2020 felt like a long speech directed to my kids, day-in-day-out.
Let me explain further... Let’s start with Hard Work
I have always believed hard work is king. 2020 simply solidified that belief. You can do great and amazing works if you are willing to put in the time, thought, and initiative. Trust me when I say all of us here at Producer’s XL worked our tails off this past year. We were not willing to turn the pandemic into an excuse for a down year. We put in the extra work and it paid off! But our success has always been contingent on your success, and you never let up for a second. We appreciate your efforts and perseverance this past year and look forward to 2021. I can promise you Producer’s XL will be hard at work alongside you every day.
Being able to Adapt to Change was critical to the success of 2020.
It was unbelievable the constant influx of change. Products came and went, underwriting restrictions tightened and lessened, electronic submissions of applications skyrocketed, Zoom took over the planet, social isolation, quarantines…the list goes on and on. We had to adapt. We had to change. Some of these changes will remain the norm for the foreseeable future or will possibly become permanent parts of our lives. Some of those changes can be considered for the better, and some others, not so much. Regardless, we all had to learn how to deal with and accept change.
Sounding like a kid speech yet? Well, let’s continue on... Something that goes hand-in-hand with adapting to change is Willingness to Learn
and, oh boy, did we ever have to learn new things this past year! We learned different, creative ways of conducting business in a “social-distancing” world. We learned how to communicate with our clients when face-to-face was no longer an option. We became experts on Zoom, conducting webinars and meetings virtually. We learned new underwriting and application submission methods amongst numerous carriers. We learned how to deal with the emotional roller coaster of balancing business and personal lives, especially when they collided in the same environment. It would have been impossible to go through 2020 without a willingness to learn.
The last point I will make, the one I make to my kids all the time and the one I struggle with most is retaining a Positive Attitude. Many times over 2020, when our world was bleak and gray, I reminded myself how truly blessed I am in my professional and personal life. A positive attitude can go a long way, making a difference between being successful and falling short of success. Additionally, positivity is infectious! When you bring positivity to a situation, it will almost certainly bring a better outcome. Others are eager to be positive, they just need an example.
My kids may roll their eyes, or completely tune me out periodically, but I know the lessons they learned, as well as myself in 20201, will continue to benefit us throughout life. 2021 is finally here! Let us all continue to be positive, hardworking, willing to learn, and adapting to change…utilizing those key personality traits to make 2021 a great year!
