Executive TLDR
Freedom has a cost, the price is daily discipline, consistency, and long-term thinking.
Early stages can be messy, slow, and uncomfortable, progress still counts.
Replacement and team development create durability, one person can change the trajectory of an entire organization.
Ownership is the hard part, when you work for yourself you must manage yourself.
Build a legacy by staying plugged in, training, and doing the work even when you do not feel like it.
Video Summary
“Freedom isn’t free” is not a slogan in this training, it is a warning and a plan. Olivier and Jahmena Brutus walk through what it really costs to build a life and a legacy in Primerica, including the awkward beginnings, setbacks, and sacrifices that never make it into the highlight reel. They start by pulling back the curtain on the early days, low hourly wages, financial pressure, immature decisions, and the reality of trying to grow while still learning how to lead yourself.
Jahmena shares her path from early licensing momentum to a longer season of uneven progress. She describes opening an office too early, carrying a lease she could not comfortably support, and learning leadership the hard way when her support system relocated and she was forced to operate independently. The point is not to glorify struggle, it is to show that early mistakes and slow seasons do not disqualify you. They are often the training ground for future stability.
A major theme is the turning point that comes when you finally get serious about the basics. Jahmena and Olivier describe seasons where they were distracted, inconsistent, and treating the business like a side activity. Over time, they shifted into structure, accountability, and a more disciplined lifestyle, especially around appointments, follow-up, and staying plugged into the team. Their message is clear, you do not drift into progress, you choose it with daily decisions.
They also explain the power of partnership and complementary strengths. Jahmena describes herself as structured, product confident, and focused on closing, while Olivier is strong at building teams and developing people. Their growth accelerated when they stopped trying to be identical and started operating as a balanced unit. The practical lesson for Primerica reps is to stop waiting until you feel ready or perfect, start building structure, find support, and get into a rhythm that you can repeat.
Replacement is a central pillar of the talk. They outline how organizational growth becomes durable when leaders develop new leaders who can stand on their own, and then do the same for others. They share an example of how one key leader became a catalyst for the majority of their organization, and how a single leg can continue producing results years later through ongoing development. The message is not about titles, it is about building a leadership pipeline, protecting momentum, and creating continuity that outlasts any one person.
Olivier closes by expanding on ownership as the real challenge. When you work for yourself, there is no external boss to enforce discipline. The hardest conflict becomes internal, the part of you that wants comfort versus the part of you that wants a better life. The cure is not motivation, it is standards, consistency, and learning to manage yourself like a real business owner.
The call to action is straightforward, get serious about the daily disciplines, protect your time, reduce distractions, stay plugged into your environment, and build your business in a way that serves the next generation. Progress can be hard to see in the moment, but it is real, and it compounds when you keep showing up.
FAQs
What does “Freedom isn’t free” mean in this training?
It means the life you want is not accidental, it comes from paying a price in discipline, consistency, and sacrifice. The speakers emphasize that the public results people admire often come after years of uncomfortable effort. The message is not to complain about the cost, it is to plan for it, accept it, and work through it with a long-term perspective.Why do the speakers share their early struggles so openly?
They want newer reps to stop comparing their beginning to someone else’s highlight reel. They point out that you rarely see a leader’s early stage, the mistakes, slow progress, and messy learning curve. Sharing the early years helps people stay in the fight and understand that imperfect starts can still lead to real progress over time.What role did licensing and early momentum play in Jahmena’s story?
She describes getting licensed quickly but taking longer to reach key leadership milestones. Her point is that one fast win does not automatically translate into fast long-term progress. The business still requires development, repetition, and discipline. Early momentum is helpful, but consistency is what ultimately changes outcomes.What is the lesson from Jahmena opening an office early?
The main lesson is that leadership includes responsibility, pressure, and learning through mistakes. She describes carrying a lease and facing strain, which forced her to grow up fast. The takeaway is awareness, build wisely, stay coachable, and be prepared for the responsibilities that come with leadership decisions.How did moving locations affect their growth?
Jahmena explains that when her support system moved, she was forced to operate more independently, which exposed gaps in her readiness and structure. Later, she also chose to relocate, which became part of her reset. The broader lesson is that environment matters, but structure and discipline matter more, you cannot outsource your consistency.What are “daily disciplines” according to this training?
They describe daily disciplines as the repeatable actions that build momentum, like staying plugged in, running appointments, following up, training, and keeping a schedule even on inconvenient days. The theme is that freedom is earned through consistent inputs, not occasional bursts of activity.What does the training say about distractions and lifestyle choices?
The speakers describe seasons where they were distracted and inconsistent, and how that delayed progress. The message is not about being perfect, it is about recognizing what is costing you momentum and choosing better habits. Over time, they learned that daily structure either supports your goals or sabotages them.How did Olivier and Jahmena’s strengths complement each other?
Jahmena describes herself as structured and strong in closing and product confidence, while Olivier is described as strong in team building and developing people. Their results improved when they leaned into complementary roles instead of trying to do everything the same way. The lesson is to build with others, align strengths, and create structure that wins.What is “replacement” and why is it so important?
Replacement is developing leaders who can step up, take responsibility, and continue building. The speakers describe how replacement creates stability, growth, and durability in an organization. Instead of everything depending on one person, replacement builds a leadership pipeline that can produce results for years through duplication.How can one person impact an entire organization?
They describe a key leader who became a catalyst for most of their organization’s growth. The message is that one strong leader can produce multiple leaders, who then produce more leaders. This is why training and leadership development matter so much, one leg can become a long-term foundation.Why does Olivier emphasize that success is not a straight line?
He wants people to stop expecting a perfect upward path. He explains that growth includes ups and downs, uncertainty, and awkward early reps. The practical point is that setbacks are normal, and progress often comes from staying consistent through imperfect seasons.What does Olivier mean by learning the “forecast” in life?
He uses the idea of checking a forecast as a metaphor for learning how life trends affect your decisions. His core point is that most people are not taught to think long-term or prepare for changing realities. He connects that to the importance of ownership and education.What is the biggest challenge when you work for yourself?
Olivier says the hardest part is self-management. Without a boss, many people give themselves too much flexibility, which leads to inconsistent results. He frames it as internal conflict, comfort versus outcomes. The solution is structure, standards, and discipline.How do you build discipline when you do not feel motivated?
The training points to standards and routines, not feelings. They describe staying on schedule even on holidays and during inconvenient seasons. The practical approach is to set non-negotiables, keep accountability, and treat your commitments like a real business owner would.What does this training suggest about leadership development?
Leadership is shown as something earned through responsibility, learning, and helping others grow. The speakers highlight training, duplication, and building leaders who can lead independently. It is not just personal production, it is building people who can carry the mission forward.What is the main message for someone who feels behind right now?
You are not disqualified because your progress feels slow. The speakers highlight that early stages can be messy and that you cannot compare your beginning to someone else’s current results. Focus on consistent daily disciplines, stay plugged in, and measure progress over time, not in single weeks.
Glossary
Daily disciplines: Consistent, repeatable actions that build momentum, appointments, follow-up, training, and staying plugged in.
Replacement: Developing a leader who can take responsibility and continue building, creating durability through duplication.
Hierarchy: The leadership structure created over time through development and replacement.
Field trainer: A role focused on helping train others through practical appointments and skill development.
Duplication: Repeating a process through others so growth continues without relying on one person.
Staying plugged in: Remaining connected to the team environment, training, events, and accountability systems.
Transcript:
All right, we’re gonna get into it. I got some pictures to back up what I was sharing with you earlier because I think it’s not fair. It’s not fair that you see us like this. You know, the ring, you know, the money hand, blind, you know what I mean? You didn’t see us in the beginning. So I got some pictures in the beginning. That kind of give you a little perspective. So I’m gonna go through it. Freedom is not free. Yes. There we go. So, guys, like I told you, I am from the Washington D.C. major metropolitan area. When I was recruited, I was working at Victoria’s Secret where I was making $6 and 50 cents an hour and stacking loads of pear glaze. I was also a call center rep where I sold Nextel, Sprint T mobile cell phones for a living.
I got a call from a young man named Brett burks back in 2005 as a college junior or sophomore rather, and he told me to come out for an interview. However, that day it snowed, so I declined. I didn’t. No call, no show was bad. And then he called me four months later. And as soon as it, I’m like, that’s that guy. So I came just because I felt terrible for ghosting him before. So that was 2005. The only thing I did quickly was get my license. I passed the test in seven days. And then from there it took a long time for everything else. So I hope to give you hope. So I passed test in seven days, but took six months to go. District leader. Okay.
I was really record setting, you know, I went to my first big event which was a convention. It was so cool. Unfortunately, I fell into Club 112, where the players dwell. And I didn’t really take much from that 2005 convention. However, I stayed. My next big event was at Hilton Head. It was so huge. And that very moment was when the base shop dissolved in Virginia. Like I told you guys, I’m from Virginia. And that’s where I started Primerica and put my IBA in. And then six months later, the bay shop relocated to Florida. And I was like, wait, what? I don’t want to go to Florida. I told my upline I did not want to god’s waiting pool to die with them. So I, however, am going to remain in D.C. where it’s fast. And he moved.
And then two years later, I did too. Why? Because I was sucking when you guys. I found out when my upline moved to Florida that I had to now run my own office. I was like, okay, yeah, let’s do it. They were like, you need another license? I’m like, oh, I do. So under some serious pressure, I went and got my series 26. And then I opened this office that you see. Okay, it’s funny, fun fact. It’s in Tyson’s Corner in Northern Virginia. Really nice area. But they called that place the Toilet Bowl. I probably should have known. Just had the intuition to know that’s not where I should have my office, in a toilet Bowl. However, I digress. So I was 23 years old. I was a division leader. My uplines and everybody I knew had moved to South Florida.
I was kind of like a gypsy. For a while, I was going to other people’s offices, plugging in. But then ultimately, they all kicked me out. And my upline told me that I was either going to move to Florida or open my own office. I said, man, bump, Florida, I’m opening my own office. Well, I did that. Got a lot of experience, a lot of failure. But my rent was $2,000 a month. And at 23, having never signed an apartment lease, even having a commercial lease of 2,000amonth was a little wild. Let me show you this one. Yeah, that’s how wild it got. Guys, I would love to say that. That, you know, I left behind two replacements like John Lavin and went from Florida to Pennsylvania or something. Like, cool. Nah, I was running. I was fleeing from creditors. That right there.
Guys, I was $8,000 behind on my office lease, okay? They were lurking. They were calling me every time they heard me pull up because my landlord was just two doors down. That’s the worst when your landlord is on site. Two terrible. He’s always like, Jamina. And I’m like, Dr. Berlin, I’m sorry. Next week, you know? And I just didn’t. And so, after negotiating the price with Dr. Berlin in that office for just long enough, probably about 18 months of suffering and sucking wind, my upline called me again and asked me for the umpteenth Guys. He was asking every 30 days for me to move to Florida. And I would tell him routinely, no, Brett, no. Leave me alone. I’m not coming, man. Leave me alone. And then one day, my boyfriend broke up with me.
Not Olivier, obviously, you know, but my boyfriend of five years broke up with me, and my upline happened to call me that day. And I’m not much of a crier, but that day I was. And I was feeling real sorry for myself. He goes what happened? Thinking perhaps a death, someone sick, know significance. No. AJ Broke up with me. I told him. Long pause. And I’m like, all right. He comes back with, he’s terrible for you. You should have never been with that guy. Anyway, I hated him. I couldn’t stand him. And if you have any sense left in your head, you’re going to move with me to Florida for real this time. I said, oh, okay. So that’s exactly what I did, you guys. I got in my Honda Civic, okay? That was my high school car.
I saved up all my little coin in high school and bought that Honda Civ. It was really all I owned. And I drove on my 25th birthday, 1,100 miles down I95. I drove from D.C. at 95 to where 95 ends in South Florida, okay? And then South Florida. I would love to say I got very serious about my business then. At that point, however, I still didn’t. I don’t know if you’ve been to South Florida. That first year, I got lost in a club. I told you. I got lost in Club 112 back in Atlanta in 05. So here I am in 09, clubbing every weekend, coming back hungover.
James, it’s partially your fault, because the meetup started in Hollywood, and then we’d go from Hollywood to South beach, and then the weekend’s over, and now here I am at an accountability meeting, and my manager’s asking me about my numbers, and I’m, like, still hungover kinda. And, you know, you realize after a while that’s probably not what you should be doing. So in walks Frenchie. Guys, I am adopted Haitian nation, okay? Like I told you, I’m American, from D.C. but when I met Olivier, his accent was so heavy, and I couldn’t always pick out what he was saying. But I, I, I called him Frenchie. I said, oh, Frenchie, what’s good? What are you doing? You know? So in walks Frenchie, okay? And those are my three Zammies, my Haitian amigos, okay? It was three amigos and a girl.
And were riding all up and down the turnpike. We had one car between us. I mean, I had to stand outside like it was a bus stop, because if they had to come find me, they were going to beat me up for real. So that’s how it started, guys. We started from the bottom, and now we’re here. Okay? So Olivia and Jamina began around 2010. It’s a very funny story. So I was designated as a field trainer. I was fully licensed and Like I said, very good at the product. So I was doing my thing, right? And when I came down, Brett said, all right, you’re going to be a field trainer. And there were only, like, seven in the office, so seven people to take out the whole base shop on field training appointments. Really, it was a luxury. I couldn’t eat.
I was broken, hungry. He was throwing his girl a bone. That’s what that was. You know what I mean? Well, one of the persons that he asked me to help was Olivier. And I just remember thinking, how does he not know how to do this? What’s going on here? Thought he, you know, thought he was a little slow. But really, was it what it was? They said he’d been here for 18 months or whatever. But I’m like, how if he doesn’t know how to interview someone? Well, what it was is he started in Primerica, then went away to school. And then the people he left had great success. So I thought this whole time, he knew what he was doing. I. I learned very quickly he had no idea because he had been absent for the last year. And so that’s how we started.
Right there on the bottom, guys. He was a division, I was a regional, and I was supposed to help train him. That’s how this started. Well, guys, two plus two does not equal four, okay? I brought forth a lot of structure. I’m very good at closing. I love money. I make money. I’m very serious about it. He, on the other side, was very great at building a team. Like I told y’, all, my phone went off at 5, so, you know, we balanced each other’s strengths out. And then we started winning. It got fun when we started winning. I didn’t even know I was competitive until I started winning. And then no days off. Guys, that’s my daily planner from Valentine’s Day. So even on Valentine’s Day, were up in Wellington, which is almost an hour from our house.
And that day at Wellington, we did a rollover, did an insurance check, and we’re there together, driving back from Wellington. Ooh, Happy Valentine’s Day sucked, man. We couldn’t even go to TGI Friday. We were on appointments, carrying sandwiches with us. You know, it wasn’t fun. Okay, so I told you guys about how Olivier almost lost his bride. It was for that wedding, right? So what happened was it was a convention year, all right? Fired up. Every time it’s a convention, we’re fired up, right? The month the bus was due, however, we made $900 US in Primerica. Like the whole month. Not the day, the month. Okay? So he made me take our $5,000 wedding savings and put that on a bus. It was not the highlight of my career. Okay? But what happened was I closed like my life depended on it.
I’m not going to sit around and wait and see what happens. I’m not a see what happens kind of person. I’m going to get it done. Okay, so. So we close. We close enough people to get our 5,000 back and for 35 people to join us at the convention. Guys, because of that pressing, right? Because they, you know, because we made that investment. That’s the most people we had ever had go anywhere with us. 35 at that first convention. So back on it. We got married. Still, we rode over 10k personal that month. Probably the last time we did, sadly. But went RVP just a few months later. Am I saying if you sacrifice your wedding money, you’ll go RVP six months? No. But you could. I did. You could. You know. So then we got our first ring, right?
Well, I guess I got the first ring first. You know what I mean? Then I got the second ring in March of 2015. It was an exciting time. Then we started with Get Big or Go Home. That’s with Andy Young. He’s an amazing and gracious leader. He welcomed us into his midst in North Carolina. And then magic started happening. Okay, you guys see that? Yeah, it looks good up there. Okay, great. So our first rvp, we call him the genesis of our hierarchy. That’s James. Olivier talked about him earlier. Right. So James went RVP first. Then he gave up a replacement, which is Harad Farismar, who went second. So that’s our second first generation RVP. Then after Harad came Meline Charles, our first female RVP, and the third RVP, which helped us go SVP in April of 2019. Okay. Then we had number four.
Alan, were you four or five? That’s right. Okay, so she’s number four. And that Adeline, a moment, because 85% sorry, James of our organization comes from that young lady right there. And she was our fourth regional vice president and by far the catalyst of our organization. And from her replacement is pretty much everyone else. You see. So she now has four first generation RVP’s. She promoted her fourth on Saturday in Puerto Rico. It was awesome. She gave up two legs in exchange. Johnny Duran and. And Virgo Joseph. Okay. Both of those guys went rvp. Those were number five and six for us. Okay. And then Johnny’s replacement of Gashmi who’s here today? Gashmi and Marie Louise Saint went rvp. So that’s Johnny’s replacement. Right? And then their replacement was their sister Julie. She’s right there. That’s Julie.
Okay, so we had two sisters go rvp, each leave their sister, right? And. And now their husband and them make big money. They’re doing great. And then number nine was the best man of our wedding, Max Fialis. Some of you guys have met him, right? And then we promoted number 10, Giovanni, stand up. Right. We promoted number 10 on Saturday. Okay? But guess what about him? That’s James’s. James, the genesis James. That’s the replacement of the replacement of the replacement from James’s leg that went out in 2017. So nine years later, a portion of James’s replacement just went RVP Saturday. Okay? So the rest was history. I told you guys. Hold on, let me just fly through some of this.
Boom.
It’s a lot, guys. I want to get to the pictures. We went SNSD in 2022. We bought our dream home. I’m just going to get to the pictures, guys. You know we’re part of Haitian nation, right? I’ve had the privilege of going to Haiti twice. It was a lot of fun, right? If you can’t find us, look in Jamaica, that’s typically where we are a few times a year. I’m not on Bora yet, the oysters like Patty did, but I’m getting there. I’m getting. I could smell it from here, okay? We’ve taken teammates to Las Vegas many times. It’s one of my favorite cities in this country. I love Las Vegas. Okay? We’ve been to Hawaii, guys. I was in a helicopter for $600 a person, okay? I’m a band dork. Side note, that’s what I used to do.
And I’ve played every John Williams score, okay? And if you remember in Jurassic park, when. When. When they come around the waterfall, you know, guys, I’m such a band dork. I started crying because I played that song in a symphonic band. And my helicopter driver, he put it over our ears so we could have that. Guys, I’m crying. I’m boohoo. Crying in a helicopter. I know Olivier can’t identify, but I was like, oh, my God. I’m telling you gotta do it. But it just cost you about 6, 800 person and a flight to Hawaii. So high school, guys. I was a dork in high school. I just told you. I was in the band. Not just the band. In every band, Symphonic band, jazz band, marching band, the regional band. I was in every band.
So I wasn’t exactly the most popular kid in school, if you know what I mean. But guess what? It was my 20 year high school reunion just recently, and I got on a call to see what’s going on. They wanted to do it at the Holiday Inn. I stepped in. I said, absolutely not. We will not. Okay? And I went in front of the deposit. I went in with the knowledge of Primerica and taught them how to sell tickets. And we got enough money to get my money back and give a significant donation to my high school. It was everything, guys. It felt so good. All them people. Yeah, you got a big head. Yeah, yeah. What now? What now? That big head got a big credit card to pay for y’. All. Sorry, I get a little angry still, guys.
And in November, I got to take my mom across the pond. Jason, Vasia, this is your fault. But thank you. Thank you so much for planting that idea in my head. Oh, my gosh, guys, I don’t know if you ever been, but you should, okay? My mom said it took 74 years for me to get across the pond. And it was never my husband to do it. It was my daughter. Guys, that ate me up, okay? We went to Spain. I took Spanish in from the fourth grade all the way into college, so I’m really good at Spanish. And there was a. What do you call a stage abroad trip here in Sevilla. And of course, at the time I couldn’t go. So I said, mom, we’re adding a trip. All right, let’s go.
And went to Sevilla, where I could not afford to go in 11th grade. I couldn’t practice my Spanish. I couldn’t because I couldn’t afford it. But, well, you know, now I can. We also took her to London, highly. Suggest I got my little picture in the booth like you, Patty. It was just really cold when I went. I didn’t know. But, guys, let me leave you with progress. Because it’s so hard when you can’t see or recognize the progress. Like, imagine you’re losing weight. You don’t really see it, but the people around you do. And they might tell you first, like, hey, oh my God, you look great, Olivier, look at you. But you’re like, no, I don’t. But progress is real, guys. I never landed in a single family home until I was 36. Okay, see on the left hand side?
Well, I lived in an apartment many times. So in the middle was our first apartment where it was one bedroom, one and a half bath. And it was about 1,000 square feet. That’s the middle. I had to go downstairs and fight with all the old people to get a lawn chair by the pool. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to south Florida, but the pool, real estate, it’s hard to come by. Okay, so I’m fighting with old ladies to try and get a chair. My God, it was terrible. Then to the left, we got a bigger apartment, three bedrooms, guys. I had never been inside a three bedroom apartment. Okay? So to put my name on a lease with a three bedroom, three bath, I thought I did it. And then finally, on the right side, that’s a home, right?
That’s a single family home. But what I don’t know if you can see is the other home is about 7ft away. Can you see it? The other home in the distance? I don’t like that. I don’t know if you live in a house where you can see your neighbor or they’re like six feet away, but it’s not cool. It’s not cute at all. Okay? And then, guys, we signed on our dream home in 2023. I waited, my. My financial advisor said, wait. I did everything I was supposed to do, guys. And then finally we got our dream home. Those are our girls that’s assigning the deed, mortgage, all that. That’s our team the first night. Because who better than to give me a housewarming than our favorite teammates, right?
But guys, that picture of me in the wooden office, the first one with me in the bathing suit was on an open house. One thing I brought to Olivier and the guys, when I came down, I said, why aren’t you guys going to open houses? Why aren’t you guys looking at it, bro? They’re like, what do you mean? I’m like, every Sunday they have open houses. So from that point forth when I joined them, I said, we go every Sunday and we wouldn’t go to no half a million dollar house. I’m talking, I want $10 million on the intercoastal. Let’s see it. Because I just needed to see it. I’m a girl. Not to say that I didn’t have this vision, but I personally need to see it so that I can go get it. You know what I’m saying?
And then the picture below is my office, my actual home office in our home. Is that picture right beneath it? Please don’t tell me speaking it into existence doesn’t exist. How is it possible that I have almost the exact same office that I was in an open house in 2012. And now that’s my office today. Guys, the middle is obviously Christmas, my favorite time. I like to light up my palm trees. It’s really great. See, we’re on. I’m not 1.6, but 1.3 acres. Patty in South Florida is nothing to sneeze at, because most people don’t really have that kind of land. And, guys, what a difference. Every time I see that, I’m like, ain’t no way somebody actually pays us a million dollars. So you can do it. Guys, please, just get serious about the daily disciplines. That’s all.
Olivia and I have done that and generally be good to people. Ask our team, they’ll tell you. Right? But with that being said, I’m going to turn it over to my other half, my circle of champions, owner Olivier Brunet.
All right, let’s get up one more time for Jamina Brudes. A lot of times I’m watching these slides, it’s almost like I’m reliving it. Oh, that happened. That’s right. Because it happens so fast. Whatever you do, just like this in this June will make it exactly 18 years for us. 18 years. Well, she got started in 05, but 18 years since we got started, and all these things happen. You go to the ups, you go to the downs, you go to this, you go to that. But like, Jude did a good job earlier. Jude, that graph was very good for people to see that there’s no such thing as straight shot up to success. Right. I think the only thing I usually say that’s unfair in Primerica is that you cannot see somebody’s beginning.
Everybody sounds so polished on stage, but you have no idea how bad it was. The stuttering, the this, the that, whatever. You know, my first presentation, when I did it on my own, I always say that if any of you recruit that meet that young lady prospector, this should be her thought. If a company would allow that guy to do an interview, it’s a terrible company. That’s how bad the first interview was. Okay, but it gets better. Now, Jamila told you a lot about with the kids, what we did in business. The guys like the team. And it’s surreal that you could go from like, I was working at Domino’s Pizza. They didn’t even choose me to be good enough to do the making the pizza or manage it. I was a driver, okay?
So I was a driver making about $800 a month at Domino’s Pizza. Jamina was at a Call center, right. And at Victoria’s Secret. So think about that for humble beginning. So my parents now let me go back a little bit. My parents, mom and dad now wanted to offer my sister in a better future. My dad was serious about putting sports all in my life. Like, he would always talk about when were. When I was born, he went and told his friend, who was my. He was a good friend, a gynecologist. Don’t ask questions. Weird as heck. But the gynecologist, his best friend, his good friend. And he told him, listen, I’m gonna intoxicate him with sports. I’m gonna intoxicate him with sports. And I think you could relate, Ed. Right.
But the thing is, I didn’t realize that it was gonna prepare me for the next chapter of my life. I didn’t know. It’s like hindsight, 2020 makes sense, but when you look at it, when you’re going, it’s like, what’s going on? I don’t see. I don’t go. I don’t know if I should keep going. And to tell you, my parents wanted to offer my sister and I a better future, like I mentioned. So my mom worked at the American Embassy for years, and eventually she decided to come here to give us a better future. So she had to resign. My dad stayed in Haiti and my mom went back and forth to visit. So my dad would come and visit. My mom went back to visit.
So we did that from literally 2004 to 2016 when my mom went back full time and I say we as if I did it. They did that. And my parents put such a hard effort, such a high level of sacrifice, that in my mind, how dare you complain about how tough it is? And sometimes I think we lose sight of what was done ahead of us, and that’s why we fold. So coming here, I played sports. So I went to high school in West Palm Beach Central, played soccer there, and then went to Mercer University in Georgia, in Macon. Went to Mercer University in Georgia. Then I blew my knee my first year. ACM Iniskis, Bruce Femur, done. And at that point, I knew there was no longer going to be any soccer. And that was scary.
Now, I’m sure this never happened to anybody in the room, but too often I came out of a class and said things like, I don’t know what the heck they were saying today. I don’t know what the heck they were like, I didn’t get anything from class today. Anybody, right? I know all you guys were a students but too often I came out and said that. And I was scared because I’m thinking, if that’s true, that means I have no idea how I’m gonna do the rest of my life. Because I was sure about soccer, but now I don’t get six, seven out of 10 classes. How’s that gonna be my future? So I come to. So I blew my knee. My dad. God works mysteriously, but you understand it backwards. My dad gave me a book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Now I hate reading. Now I know they say hate is a strong word. I really hated reading. Is that strong enough? Right? My idea of reading was like reading the summary at the end of the chapters. Like Picmonkey, Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, anybody knows? Okay, so that’s how I read. But my dad gave me the book, and my dad too much respect to not read the whole book, Ed. So I have to read it and give my actual report. Shalom. I opened the book and the introduction, it says, does school prepare children for the real world? Look at that. I love them. Why? My Haitian Charlemagne was like, who? I immediately closed the book. Ad immediately closed the book. Like, who the heck who writes a book like this? Tesla does, of course, school prepare children for the real world.
Undercover I saw New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Business Week bestseller. So here I am thinking they’re crazy. But on the COVID said New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and BusinessWeek bestseller. At that point, I knew I was wrong. But see, I didn’t realize I had an advantage. And what my advantage was, I knew nothing. I see most of us beyond reading, beyond the facts, we’re still fighting the facts. The facts is in American business. In America, nobody has the life you want unless you’re an actor, entertainer, athlete, and even then they have an owner, right? I remember there was a basketball player said basketball players were high paid players. He used another P. Okay, but that’s what he was describing. Because somebody owns you now. You make big money.
Don’t get me wrong, but the idea, unless you’re an athlete, an actor, there was no other option. For myself, I wasn’t gonna sing. I wasn’t gonna do any of that. The only thing I had left was business. And when I read that book, I saw the window because I blew my knee already. So as I’m reading the book and the eight ladies, a cpa, Sharon Ledchester, co author with Robert Kiyosaki. And Sharon is talking about how her son is telling her that mom, life doesn’t work like it used to. There’s no more pensions. You don’t work till 65 and then get paid till you die. There’s no more retirement. There’s none of that. You got to find a different way. Now, you have to understand, I’m going to school for business accounting. My mom and dad are paying for my school.
And the lady I co wrote the book that my dad gave me is saying it’s not worth it. Whoa, Poppy, did you. Poppy, did you. Scary. Well, a year later, I get a call to Primerica. And what I came in I saw shocked me. And it shocked me, because I had no idea how much I did not know about personal finance. I had no idea how much I didn’t know about money. See, I know my man Junior here loves cars. Imagine Junior is deciding, I’m gonna go take a ride down in Miami, right? South Beach, Ocean Drive, whatever, beautiful side. And then here you are driving. And as you’re driving, right, he’s proud. You know, he’s like, what car should I drive? Well, I’ll take the convertible, because let’s say his garage is filled with vehicles. Get my point? Filled with vehicles.
So the vehicle he chooses is the vehicle, right? That he thinks makes more sense with South Florida. He chose a vehicle based on his feelings. What fits him? So now he realizes as he’s driving, it starts to rain. And then here’s Tammy, his wife’s hair, messed up. Junior can’t even look to the right because he’s so embarrassed. But what’s the problem, guys? He made a mistake. He did not check the forecast. If he had checked the forecast, he would have realized that the convertible is actually the worst car to drive. What’s my point? My point is, nobody taught me to check the financial forecast when I came in Primerica. I mean, until Primerica. Sorry, I didn’t know the financial forecast. And had I checked the financial forecast, what I would have realized is a job is the worst plan.
Because everything in life is getting more expensive except income. In the 60s, if you made 5,000 a year, you could keep up with the cost of living back then. But it doubles every 10 years. In the 70s, it became 10,000. In the 80s, it became 20,000. In the 90s, it became 40,000. Up to there, one person, household could make enough money to provide. And even if they both worked, they came back home early enough to be with the family. But in the 2000s, it doubled again to 80,000. So daycare centers started popping left and right. So now you need some place to dump the kids with all Due respect, dump the kids so you can go work overtime so you could go make more money. So now here you are in a situation where you’re already not making enough money.
Well, if 2000 wasn’t enough, boom, here comes 2010, 160. Now, the first time I heard that, I’m like, come on, you guys are full of crap.
Okay?
I know. Money, money. You don’t need all that until I realize. Oh, the reason why you think it’s not going up is because of debt. Debt wants you to think, don’t make more money. They want you to think don’t. See, I grew up where you don’t borrow a dollar from a friend. But, mom, who gave you the five bucks? Uncle, give the money back. Mom, give the money back. And then there’s a whole sermon with uncle, how dare you give Olivia money without talking to me? But now the same people told me it was bad to borrow money with all the respect and love out for my parents. Now here it is that they’re telling me it’s a good idea to get a good credit score to qualify in debt. Hold on. I thought I couldn’t borrow money.
How is it okay now to get a good credit score? Like, be in line to qualify to borrow? How the heck. But not everything of quality. We have not some everything of quality. You have. You have debt for it. Nice house mortgage. We don’t even call it debt. We fancy it up. As a matter of fact, it’s a jingle for everything. Almost money get bad. There’s MasterCard. We know the sayings why you’re programmed to not go make more, but to go have five bucks, buy something for a dollar down payment, borrow four. And then now you’re working to pay 12 back. But you were told you didn’t have five. How are you paying 12 back? 2010. 2020 doubled to 300,000. 320,000. We’re four years away from 2030. It’s gonna double again. Let me make you realize something.
You know how crazy it is that now almost everybody has a roommate? So here I am, Tesla. I’m gonna have to be in a house with some dude who’s coming from work at 2 o’, clock, 3 o’, clock, 4 o’, clock, and my 16 beautiful little daughter is in there, and dudes coming in the house. Well, what do you mean, no, sir, Jayce, if you don’t have money, you got a room, you got to be a roommate. That’s the war we’re fighting. So now it’s absolutely normal to have that reality. Like I said, 20, 30 is four years from now. What’s going to happen again? I don’t know, but this is what I know. We don’t even own how were able to learn because we have student loans.
We borrowed the education we got, we borrow the health we got, we borrowed a car we got, we borrow everything we got. Some of us are making cell phone payments, not the monthly bill, I mean the hardware payment, everything. We have debt. So now it’s normal to pass debt to the next generation, not an inheritance to the next generation. As a matter of fact, it’s actually weird to talk about an estate plan so that your next generation can be wealthy. It’s normal to pass debt, but not an estate. As a matter of fact, you’re too money greedy looking to make money in the previous generation when the whole purpose of a generation is to improve the next one. Ed. But the problem is we’re being taught by people that never built businesses, people that never talked about wealth. Why? Well, I’ll tell you what.
Based on history, they say slaves never knew how to read. They did. They chose what they read. I went to business school, they chose what I read. And I don’t matter where you go, this is the one thing they’ll never teach you. They’ll never teach you how to own your business. They’ll never teach you how to own your business. Why? Because if you learn how to own your business, you become the competition you want to take it and leave. So you got to realize that where we come from, it’s not normal to build a business and then pass it on to your children. Pass on an inheritance. We’re watching second gen Zach Lavins, the Ortiz. There’s so many. I don’t want to skip anyone. But you’re watching people.
I was just telling Dave Harris, I’m watching his daughter introduce, I’m like, we have a nine year old Adeline, we’re watching. That’s us. But the fact that they made you think about this. Somebody’s rolling their eyes at me right now while I’m speaking and this is what you’re not realizing. They told you it’s okay to work for 40 years of your life to give somebody else a his son, their business. They told you it’s normal and actually you fold and you think I’m crazy. You actually think I’m the problem. I’m the one that has a problem. So hey, if I tell you better rent your car or own your car, own. If I tell you rent Your house. Own your house. Cool. But why is it, when I say, own your income, own your legacy, why is that weird? Why? Why? How is that.
But because of where we come from, they control what you read, they control what you’re reading. I don’t mean to make this a caller thing, because for most of the time, I think we create caller problems. That’s not really color problems, but whatever. You want to hide things from black people, put it in the book. They told you read. Yes, they told you. They told you straight up, read. That’s what they said. You want to hide something, put it in a book. I don’t read. They just told you. But guess what? It’s not even a color thing anymore. Really. The color is green. The fact is, you got to ask yourself, if I have a legacy to build, one day we’re all going to be gone. Hopefully later than somebody else. God willing, who knows? The point is this.
When we’re gone, your family is going to better after you were here or worse after you were here. It’s not people. It’s not this. You have to stop blaming. God didn’t make mistakes. God didn’t put you in a position where you’re like, well, until God fixes his role, life will get better. No, until you learn to take ownership. Until you learn to get better. Because maybe, just maybe, he wants you to rise up and get on your feet and go win big so you can be an inspiration and give him glory. Maybe that’s what he wants. Maybe he wants it to be tough for you. Olivier Brutus. That’s why. Maybe that’s what he wants. Maybe he wants that for you. Why is it like this? I don’t know why. But the fact is, you have a purpose. You have a legacy.
See, the biggest struggle that most of us have now that we understand this legacy, I got to own my own business. I got to own my own legacy. I understand that. Well, this is the problem, the thing we struggle with. We struggle with the fact that for the first time in your life, you’re working for yourself. And now, when I went to high school, every time I came from school, my mom’s like, you didn’t do homework yet? I’m like, mommy, can I. No TV. Eat homework. Like, God, dog. My senior year, 4.0 GPA. I went to college. 2.8. Never crossed 2.9. Never. Is it because I got dumb? Well, I was away in college, if that helps you. No more boss. My mom’s not there, my dad’s not there. Nothing. So School’s just hard. Domino’s Pizza. Great employee Carlos loved me. Come in Primerica.
Bam, Bam. They tell you, well, you can show up whenever you want. Guess when that was. Never. Huh? Right. Pick up people at the airport. Gotcha. Cause I’m Haitian. People always flying in. You know what I’m saying? Oh, I got it. I’m doing everything. I don’t feel. So now here you are realizing, wow, for the first time, I’m working for me. So at the end of the month, you, the consumer. Us in a room here. You, the consumer. At the end of the month, you’re mad, but you’re mad. At who? You, the worker. You don’t want to say that, but that’s the truth. The truth is you in your seat. Who used to say, I will never let a boss not pay me for a couple of weeks. Here you are doing it to yourself.
So you, the consumer, is mad at you, the worker, but you, the worker, is really mad at you, the boss. So you, the boss allows you to sleep in, allows you to. But I have. I don’t feel like it right now. Did you ever want a break? Hey, I could come to the meeting because the kids and I used to tell people, hey, can you give me your manager’s number so I could call and ask them what babysitting help they provide at your job? What do you mean? Let me know. You never miss jobs because of kids, so I want to know, what do they do? Maybe you could use that. The fact is, you’re the boss. You got to be able to be tougher on you. You got to be tough on you because of what’s relying on you.
I don’t know why, but you are called. I don’t know why, but you’re chosen. And some people have to decide they’re gonna be the one. And for some of them that they said they’re gonna be the one you can make with no limits. The income that’s getting paid here is ridiculous. To watch people come at such a young age and go dominate, it’s insane. I’m watching this 24 year old who just went. Regional vice president David Bernadette has made 11,000 in a month. Do you understand how long it took for myself to do that? But you know how proud James must be to watch that. I’m watching somebody like Giovanni Lindsay who did not finish high school, but here he is coming here, regional vice president, him and his wife about to build a legacy for his daughter. It’s ridiculous.
Watching Ricardo Richard, 24 years old, made $44,000 last month in December, her birthday month, doing over 100 by 100. Even as the 200 by 100. Right. Dominating the state of Florida. That’s crazy. Jean Zila, who used to be so scared, but now here they are breaking out in their RVPs. Young people coming into business. But I know we have more. The will findings over here. 12 months in the business made 100,000 a year. 12 months like you have to get is unreal what you can do for you. But the best part about it is that when you’re done, it goes to your legacy. No hard work here is wasted. It’s only building your legacy. Appreciate y’ all have a great night. We’ll have fun tomorrow. Thank you.
