Executive TLDR
The core mindset is ownership, if results must change, it starts with you.
Events build belief, but progress comes from applying habits consistently at home.
Track growth event to event by auditing activity and what changed in your routine.
Run your Primerica business like a real business, schedule it, administer it, and review what is coming in and out.
Build for longevity with quality standards, grow licensed agents locally, and keep relationships strong across the hierarchy.
Video Summary
Eduar Fernandez opens with his background and why he is driven to build a different future than what he grew up seeing. The central theme is personal responsibility, when progress is required, it starts with the person in the mirror. He emphasizes that time keeps moving whether you are disciplined or not, and the only real option is to get better instead of getting bitter.
What you’ll learn
How the “if it’s got to be, it’s up to me” mindset changes your pace
Why belief is built at events, but results are built through consistent application
How to measure progress from event to event without guessing
Why habits, not personality, determine whether you win or stall
How to run your Primerica business with structure, schedules, and review
The importance of quality standards and doing the business the right way
Why growing licensed agents locally improves training, culture, and momentum
How to navigate relationships with uplines, downlines, and sidelines
1) Ownership is the starting point
A big message in this talk is removing excuses and taking full ownership of outcomes. Eduar frames it plainly, if you want to be responsible for your success, you also have to be responsible for your setbacks. That mindset eliminates waiting on other people and shifts focus back to what you can control, your habits, your schedule, and your standards.
2) Time moves whether you move or not
He stresses that time is ruthless. Another event is coming, another scoreboard will show up, and another season will pass. When people feel stuck, he frames the choice as simple, you either get bitter or you get better. The difference is not information, it is the routines you apply when nobody is watching.
3) Belief comes from events, results come from application
Eduar explains that schools and events are designed to build faith and belief, not to be a technical workshop. You learn what to do, then you go home and practice how to do it with your coach. He uses a clear point, information alone does not create progress, application does.
He also reinforces the principle that people are rewarded publicly for what they practice privately. In other words, the visible wins are built through invisible repetition.
4) Audit your growth from event to event
He challenges reps to measure progress in a straightforward way. From the last event to this event, did anything improve, team growth, licensing, recruiting activity, and production? If the answer is no, the move is not to blame circumstances. The move is to audit your life.
The audit question is practical, what did you start doing or stop doing that caused your current results. This encourages honest review of habits, not emotional explanations.
5) Run your Primerica business like a business
Eduar recommends treating your operation like a real business, not a hobby. A real business reviews what is coming in and what is going out, has schedules, has meetings, and has administration. His point is that lack of administration can take you out, even if you are producing.
He mentions the value of a structured review meeting, and the idea that production alone is not the full game. Systems, scheduling, and operational discipline protect growth.
6) Quality standards and longevity thinking
He emphasizes doing the business the right way, with long-term thinking. The message is to build something sustainable, not just fast. He frames this as a generational mindset, some people plan for the weekend, strong leaders plan for generations.
He also defines wisdom as thinking through consequences before acting. That lens applies to how you build your team, how you train people, and how you protect your reputation and consistency.
7) Build locally, create training rhythm, protect relationships
A practical strategy he highlights is growing licensed agents locally so people can meet for training, study, and Saturday rhythm. Once you find a leader in a city, recruit in that city to create real community and momentum.
He also gives relationship guidance across the hierarchy. Work to agree with downlines, disagree respectfully with uplines when needed, and get along with sidelines. The point is that big things are built by groups, not solo efforts, and staying coachable matters.
Action steps
Write the phrase “If it’s got to be, it’s up to me” at the top of your weekly plan, and use it as your standard for the week.
Do a 30-minute audit today, what did you start doing or stop doing in the last 30 to 90 days that explains your current results.
Set a weekly schedule block for business administration, not just appointments, and treat it as non-negotiable.
Track progress event to event with simple measures, team growth, licensing progress, recruiting activity, and personal consistency.
Decide what “doing it the right way” means for you, and document your standards so you do not drift.
Identify one local pocket to build, then focus recruiting there until a consistent Saturday training rhythm forms.
Practice coachability, execute the plan given, then review with your coach and adjust with facts, not feelings.
Strengthen relationships in the hierarchy, stay respectful with uplines, supportive with downlines, and steady with sidelines.
Pick one private practice to sharpen daily, and commit to doing it even when nobody is watching.
Choose better over bitter, write one specific change you will implement starting today, then execute for the next 7 days.
FAQs
What does “If it’s got to be, it’s up to me” mean in Primerica?
It means taking full ownership of your progress. Instead of waiting for better timing, more help, or different circumstances, you commit to being the driver of your results. The talk frames this as a mindset that creates consistency, because you stop relying on motivation or other people to move.Why does Eduar say time is ruthless?
Because time keeps moving whether you are disciplined or not. Another month, another event, and another season will arrive regardless of how you feel. The point is to act with urgency and structure now, so you do not look up later and realize you repeated the same habits for another cycle.Are events supposed to teach the technical “how-to”?
In this talk, events are positioned mainly as belief builders. You hear what to do and see what is possible, but your coach and your home environment are where you practice the how-to. The idea is that inspiration is useful, but application is what changes outcomes.What does it mean to “audit your life” in this context?
It means reviewing what changed in your habits that explains your current results. If growth did not happen, the question is what routines slipped, what standards got lower, or what actions became inconsistent. It is a factual review, not a blame session.How can I measure progress from one event to the next?
Use clear categories you can track. In the talk, examples include team growth, licensing progress, recruiting activity, and whether your production improved. The goal is to make progress measurable so you can adjust based on reality, not based on emotion.Why does he emphasize habits over talent or personality?
Because habits are repeatable. People come from different backgrounds and personalities, but consistent routines create consistent results. The talk highlights that winning or stalling is often the product of daily habits, not personal traits.What does it mean to run your Primerica business like a real business?
It means having structure. Track what comes in and out, set schedules, hold consistent meetings, and maintain administrative discipline. The warning is that lack of administration can stall you even if you are busy, because you cannot scale chaos.Why is administration important if I am producing?
Production without structure can become unstable. Administrative discipline helps you maintain quality, follow-through, training rhythm, and consistency. In the talk’s framing, structure protects your growth and helps you avoid drifting between busy weeks and slow weeks.What does “build for longevity” mean?
It means making choices that support long-term consistency rather than short bursts. The talk encourages thinking beyond the weekend and toward future seasons, emphasizing decisions that are sustainable for you and replicable for your team.What is Eduar’s view on quality standards?
He emphasizes doing the business the right way and building something solid. The focus is on avoiding shortcuts that may create noise without creating stability. The broader point is that quality and consistency protect long-term growth.Why does he recommend building licensed agents locally?
Because proximity helps training and culture. When people can meet for Saturday training and study sessions, learning becomes faster, relationships get stronger, and team camaraderie grows. Local momentum creates a stronger base to expand from.What does “recruit in pockets” mean?
It means focusing recruiting efforts in a specific area once you find a strong leader there. Instead of scattering everywhere, you build density so people can train together, support each other, and create a consistent environment.How should I handle disagreements with my uplines?
The talk suggests you can respectfully agree to disagree. The key is maintaining relationships and staying aligned on direction, even when you do not see everything the same way. Strong businesses require teamwork and maturity.What does he mean by “agree with downlines, disagree with uplines, get along with sidelines”?
It is relationship guidance for navigating the hierarchy. Support and encourage downlines, handle disagreements with uplines respectfully, and stay steady with peers. The core idea is that growth requires cooperation and strong communication across levels.Why does he stress being coachable?
Because big outcomes are built by teams. Coachability keeps you aligned, keeps your learning curve short, and helps you execute proven systems instead of constantly reinventing your own approach.What is the simplest way to start applying this message today?
Do a quick audit, write a weekly schedule that includes administration time, and commit to one private discipline you will execute daily for the next week. Then review with your coach using facts, not feelings.
Glossary
Audit your life: A review of habits and actions to identify what changed and what caused current results.
Application: Practicing and executing what you know, consistently, until it becomes routine.
Private practice: The work you do when nobody is watching, preparation and repetition that creates public results.
Administration: The scheduling, tracking, follow-up, and operational discipline that keeps the business stable.
Recruit in pockets: Concentrating recruiting in a specific area once a leader is established, to build density and culture.
Coachable: Willing to follow guidance, execute the plan, and adjust based on feedback and results.
Video Summary
00:00
For those of you guys don’t know me, my name is Eduard Fernandez. I’m a senior vice president here with our company. I actually wasn’t born here. I was born in Cuba. And when I was about six years old, my parents and I, we won a lottery ticket to come into the United States. So, you know, we grew up very poor. You know, grew up into a house with dirt floors, used to ride a horse to school. You know, all the things that you guys can think of, like third world country, you know. So, you know, when my dad got the news that were coming to America, you know, obviously everybody’s excited. I was a young boy, didn’t know a whole lot. So in anyways, came here, my dad became a factory worker, and my mom worked as a housekeeper.
00:37
She worked at restaurants and taking care of children. And that’s kind of what I saw growing up. And, you know, my parents together, they raised me on $3,000 a month together. Right. And that’s what I saw growing up. And I just wanted to do something so different. Wanted to, you know, give my parents, you know, a totally different life because they gave me the opportunity to be in America. Right. And thankfully for Primerica, I’m able to get, you know, show them that I’m appreciative. Right. Because we can’t repay back our parents, right or wrong. Right. So anyways, guys, so I got started in Prime America. I was about 19 years old. You know, Eric Ortiz had hair at the time, and Ed Ortiz and Jason Ortiz. No, I think Ed was still bald. But anyways, the two brothers, they had hair at the time.
01:23
And then I stressed them out a lot, guys. But look, my first year in Primerica, I only made $9,000. And I remember going to TBLS, where. I don’t know where David and Don Harris are, but, man, they just did such an incredible job. I remember going to a tbls. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I remember going to tbls, and I just watched, like, you know, the Haitian nation and. Right. And man, you guys are so special. And I remember watching, you know, Charlemagne. I think he was at, like, 5, 600,000. You know, Tescher had just gone to, like, South Florida and, like, went door to door and bought a car and. And I thought that was so inspiring. Rezzy was like, he was fired up. He had no money, but he was fired up. You know, he was a Navy.
02:03
You’re, I think, a manager from something like Old Navy. He was a manager. Old Navy, right. And he was staying on stage. He was making $17 an hour. And now he was making $1,000 a week, and he was about to get $50,000. And he had never been paid 50,000. And I was like, man, that guy looks like my age. He’s gonna. He’s making how much? 5,50,000 a year doing this. He’s from Haiti, I’m from Cuba. We’re neighbors. Like, I think I could do this, right? And just seeing everybody and all it really did is give me belief. Because these schools are not technical, right? Like, your coaches and your mentors are the ones that teach you how to do the business, right? There’s videos, there’s content.
02:39
So if information was the key to success, then all college campuses where the staff parks would be Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls Royces, right? So information is not the key to success. It’s application. You with me? So what, this lets you see that if you do the right things, right, you will get rewarded in a major way, right? And people get rewarded in public for what they practice in private, right? Success is not built in private. I mean, in public, it’s built in private, guys. And nobody’s watching you, and nobody’s clapping, right? That’s why, you know, a lot of people don’t make it here. If you constantly need. Encourage you, encourage you. Look, we don’t. We, like me personally, I don’t look for babies, right? I don’t need babies in my organization. If you have.
03:19
Like, if you’re not gonna get moving, I’m gonna get moving anyways. You with me? Like, sometimes some leaders will say, hey, look, oh, maybe this is happening because this or that. Look, you know, nothing, everything. If it’s got to be, it’s up to me, right? Because I want to be responsible for my failure so that I can also be responsible for what, guys? My success. You with me? So as I look at the, you know, at the team, I said, look, if somebody’s moving or not, I’m gonna continue to move. You know, guys, look, time is ruthless. It doesn’t wait for anybody. Time is gonna pass by either way. I remember when I started this company, I was 19 years old, right? I just turned 30, you know, a couple weeks ago, which is a couple. It’s so awkward saying that, right?
03:56
Because you’re like. You’re like, young to the old people, but you’re old to the young people, right? Such a. You know, I got a messed up knee, lower back pain, you know, all these. All these things, right? So, guys, time is ruthless, you know? And even if you do what you’re supposed to or you don’t. Time’s gonna pass by anyways. And that’s what you guys gotta understand. Like whether you guys do what you’re supposed to or not. We’re gonna meet back here again in 90 to 100 days, right? And there’s gonna be another award summary. And so many people are here like, man, I’m not winning. I’m not winning. Well, you’re either gonna get bitter or you’re gonna get better. You with me? And that’s just what it comes down to. So you guys gotta make a decision. Safe decision.
04:32
Says, look, next event, like, what’s gonna happen, right? And if I were to ask you know, from last event, you know, did you make more money? Did you grow a bigger team? Did your licenses grow? Did your premium grow? Did your recruiting grow? Did your income grow? And if the answer to that is no, then you have to audit your life. What did you start doing or stop doing that caused you to be where you’re at? You know, David did such a great job yesterday. And, you know, I had an emergency, so I had to walk out in the middle of speech. And emergency was, you know, my fiance needed ice cause she’s pregnant. So I had to go, right? But I heard him say, he says, man, nobody’s a winner or loser.
05:05
It’s just your habits that make you a winner or a loser. And I thought that was so true, right? Because nobody here, like, we all look different, right? Some of us are black, some of us are white, some of us are brown. Some of us are tall, right? Some of us are short, right? Like, Rezi’s ugly. I’m handsome. Like, you know, it’s all these different things, right? And you can become successful in anything you do, right? So again, it’s the habits that make you a winner or loser. Say habits, right? So guys like, you know, you guys got to have some faith that it can happen to you. So the purpose of the school is really just to build your faith. Nobody’s coming up here and showing you what they’re doing for kt, right? Nobody’s showing you how you’re going to recruit more people.
05:39
They’re just telling you how to do. But you and your coach, you guys practice on how to do it. Does that make sense? Over here, we’re going to teach you guys, you know, what to do. And then you need to go home and practice the how to do. You with me. So guys, like, I recommend that you guys run a business, say A business, you know, if you have a business, you have to take an audit of what’s coming in and what’s coming out. You know, you’re going to put together schedules, you’re going to put together meetings. You need to have a QBI meeting for your business or your lack of administration will take you out the business. You with me? It’s not just about doing production. You know, our base shop, you know, we average like 80 to 90,000 in premium.
06:18
You know, we got over 100,000 a few times. But I’m not doing, you know, a fake policy increase. I’m not doing a bad policy. I’m not writing up a recruit. I got the same day so that I can say that I did 100 by 100, right? And make no money for the month. You with me? Like, we have a solid income. We haven’t gone all year under 550,000 at the end of any close a month, right? So we make an income and keep it. And keep it. Now that’s no shots intended. I’m just giving you guys wisdom. How my mentor gives me, right? In this business, you can make the money and you can also keep the money. Guys, there is a way to do it right. And if you have to sacrifice speed for longevity, then why wouldn’t you do that?
06:54
If the game plan is to build generational wealth, see, what happens is some of you guys are planning for the weekend while some of the leaders here are planning for generations. See, in everything that you do, if you take it says, and what am I doing now? Is this gonna hurt my children or this is gonna bless my children? Right? And wisdom is thinking about the consequences of your action long before you do them. You with me? So we have to think, like, what are we doing? Guys? Look, when you’re building your team, when you’re building your hierarchy, you’re building your core group, are you teaching them to do the business the right way? I’m serious, right? Don’t just do a bunch of production and vet guys, like have the good quality business. Now that doesn’t mean you need to go.
07:30
Some people are like, well, I just want to have good. QBI said, dude, you’re at 1,000 in premium for the quarter. Like what QBI are you talking about? Right? Like obviously we want to do a bunch of. But we want to do a mixture of doing big business but having good business. You with me? Another point, you got to increase your license agents. Increase your license agents locally, guys, locally. If you. And by the way, we recruit in pockets. Recruit all through the nation. But once you find a leader in that city, recruit in that city so that they can meet for Saturday training, so they can meet for study. And that’s what starts happening, is you start building, you know, team camaraderie.
08:03
Guys, look, if you guys want to win here, you got to learn to agree with your downlines, disagree with your uplines, and get along with your sidelines, you know? And I can’t tell you guys so many times I don’t always agree with my uplines, but it’s okay to agree to disagree, right? I’m serious. If you guys want to be here to build a business, you’re going to have to get along with your leadership team, guys. Right, guys? And I’m so proud to be an aviator. You know, I’m always, you know, the most coachable in our hierarchy. You know, I always wear the T shirts when my coaches ask. And if I were to ask you guys, are you being coachable to your coaches? Right. Big things are not done by individuals. They’re done by groups of people.
08:38
And before there is 100 or a thousand, there needs to be one or two that make a commitment to do something special in life. Guys, I’m proud to be your business. Guys, I’m proud to be your coach. Thank you guys so much. What you know about rolling.
