Executive TLDR
The formula is simple: recruit 3 to 5 new directs every month and duplicate the system.
More directs create depth, leadership, and long-term stability.
Treat every recruit like a future VP while accepting it is a voluntary army.
Simplicity wins — follow the system without overcomplicating it.
Freedom comes from leaders, and leaders come from consistent recruiting.
Video Summary
In Simplicity Wins: Embracing The Primerica System For Growth, Grace Kim shares how mastering one simple principle — recruiting three to five new directs every month — transformed her life and business. Reflecting on her early days at the New Yorker Hotel under leaders like Joe Cardino and David Kim, she explains that she succeeded not by overanalyzing but by simply following the system. The formula is straightforward: bring new people on board, field train them, help them get licensed, promote them, and use events to elevate performance. Every direct can become a code, every code can become a leader, and more leaders create more freedom. Grace emphasizes building width and depth — width through consistently adding new people, and depth through developing leaders within your organization. She explains that quality is found by going deep, not by waiting for perfection at the surface. The key traits she looks for are people who want change, are willing to show up, introduce her to others, learn the process, and make adjustments. Ultimately, success is not about whether the system works — it already does — it is about whether you are willing to apply it consistently and keep it simple.
FAQs
1. What is the core message of Grace Kim’s talk?
The core message is that recruiting three to five new directs monthly and duplicating the system is the foundation of growth and freedom.
2. Why is recruiting new directs so important?
Each new direct expands your influence and has the potential to become a future leader.
3. What does “three to five directs” mean?
It refers to personally recruiting three to five new representatives into your business each month.
4. Why does Grace emphasize simplicity?
Overcomplicating the business slows progress. Following the basic system consistently produces results.
5. What is the growth formula she describes?
Recruit, field train, license, promote, and use events to magnify results.
6. What does width mean in business building?
Width refers to consistently adding new people to create raw material and opportunity.
7. What does depth mean in business building?
Depth refers to developing leaders within your organization to create stability and long-term growth.
8. Why is this called a voluntary army?
Because no one is forced to participate — success requires personal choice and commitment.
9. What qualities does she look for in recruits?
People seeking change, willing to show up, introduce others, learn the process, and make adjustments.
10. Why is being willing to introduce so important?
It shows belief in the system and creates immediate momentum through field training.
11. What happens if someone overanalyzes the business?
They delay action and miss the power of simple, consistent execution.
12. How do events contribute to growth?
Events inspire, recognize achievement, and rejuvenate team momentum.
13. What does it mean to treat every direct like a future VP?
It means developing each person with high expectations and leadership belief.
14. Why is duplication critical?
The system grows only when new people repeat the same recruiting and training process.
15. How does recruiting create freedom?
Leaders create leverage, and leverage reduces dependency on personal production alone.
16. Why must entrepreneurs make adjustments?
Business growth requires schedule flexibility, resilience to rejection, and mindset shifts.
17. What is meant by controlling attitude and schedule?
Focusing on committed people and maintaining discipline regardless of cancellations or challenges.
18. Does the system work?
Yes — the company’s results prove it works; the question is whether individuals will apply it.
Glossary
Direct
A personally recruited representative added directly to your organization.
Code
A life-licensed representative who has met initial production or licensing requirements.
Field Training
Hands-on training where new representatives observe and participate in client appointments.
Width
The consistent addition of new recruits to expand organizational reach.
Depth
The development of leaders within multiple layers of your organization.
Duplication
The process of teaching new representatives to follow the same system of recruiting and development.
Voluntary Army
A concept describing that participation and effort in the business are entirely by personal choice.
Promotion System
The structured advancement path from representative to leadership roles within the organization.
Transcript: Oh my gosh. Firstly, I just want to compliment the Girals. Like, they were just so on point, weren’t they? Like, that was hard hitting. That was perfect. I love that message. Uh, but guys, I’m going to talk about something that truly is a fundamental in this business. If you guys don’t mind that I really focus and hone in on this, because I’m telling you right now, my life has forever changed.
I don’t have time to tell my whole life story, but I’m telling you right now, Um, when, once I learned the formula for Primerica. everything to care of itself, right? And, you know, I wanted to share this today because the first thing that I ever learned in Primerica actually came from Joe Cardino. I, I look really fondly upon my beginning days in Primerica, the scared girl that Joe was describing.
And I just so happened to have the environment at the New Yorker Hotel. Anyone was there those days, right, at the New Yorker? Those were my first six months in the business. And I didn’t know what the heck was going on. Honestly, guys, I was just one of those people that just wanted to do whatever the people who looked like they were going places in life were doing.
So they were recognizing like, yes, I said, okay, you know, and it’s very hard to believe because you see me now and you think, you know, I was all analytical and I’m just, you know, overthinking and that’s kind of my natural personality, but to be honest, when I joined Primerica, I just try to keep it simple.
I just did whatever the people in front of the room talked about. And the first thing I learned from Joe, actually, he talked about getting three to five new directs every month. So I just accepted that that’s my assignment in Primerica. How is it that all of us here, all of us here know how to be a professional employee and know how to understand our job description and our assignment for our job?
And then when we come to Primerica, we start over questioning everything. I didn’t know what direct meant. I didn’t really know even recruiting. What was it for at the time? But I said, if that’s what this company does, and I’m here and I’m trying this out. I remember my one on one after IBA with David Kim.
He was my original recruiter, right? And he said, oh, do you want to become a senior rep? You got to do a three by. I said, okay, guys sometimes I feel like you could win so much faster and farther in Primerica if you keep it simple. Don’t get overly heavy duty. Just follow. And I really assure you, I promise you, I’m not, you know, downplaying or I’m not creating a different story here.
That is truly how I approach this business. You know, and I really feel like that went far for me. So I understood. So now I’m going to tell you, but I’m going to teach you today. You got to know why this has to be your number one mission, right? Eventually I figured it out. I figured out why this has to be my number one mission.
And you also have to become good at Knowing what you, what you’re looking for. When we’re doing our, when we’re expanding our business, right? So I have quite a bit of material here. So please do take your screenshots and take some great notes. And let me give you a quick note. Don’t, don’t just write notes because you know, we’re telling you to, right?
Have the intention to truly absorb this information. I remember my first year in the business. I was, I just wanted to be the get good at everything. I was such a great student of the business and this is it guys. Why? Why new direct? Well, firstly every person you bring on you get to exercise your maximum influence, right?
You get to create Potentially a carbon copy of you or your RVP And if you follow along what John Carlo is saying if you decide to be a great template You can create other great templates Okay? And now guys, the formula in this business is very simple. You hear it all the time from home office, but how, how much are you applying this very simple formula into your business?
How rigorously are you applying it? Right? All it is, is get new people on board. Feel, train them like Colby talked about. License them and promote them and use these events to highlight and rejuvenate and re and completely Magnify your team’s results. We have everything here already for you again How much are you using that every I mean now all of this trickles down right every IBA can become a code Right?
Code means at least life license rep, right? And any code can become a leader. And why do we want leaders, right? So more codes equals more growth, more leaders. Again, guys, this is what has changed so many of our lives up here. This formula. That’s all you need to know. Not over complicate things. More leaders equals more freedom.
So what are you looking for? Okay, I get, I get asked this question, you know, what is it that I look for? Quite frankly, it’s really not that complicated or serious. I look for people who are looking for change and growth. Have you guys ever worked with someone who doesn’t want either of those things?
That’s like a trick question because it’s really impossible to work with them. Someone who’s willing to show up. Guys, honestly, some of you guys, I’m glad you’re here. I’m super proud of you guys. But for next occasion, those of you who guys gave some grief to your uplines to get here, don’t do that, right?
Cause you’re gonna, you’re gonna find it hard to attract people too and rally them yourself. Okay? Willing to introduce, now this is very key for me. This is probably number one in my opinion. Willing to introduce. Right? Watch and get paid, which is the training formula here. If they’re not willing to put me in front of people, A, firstly, they’re doubting the system.
B, they’re doubting my abilities. Okay, and they’re not actually here to learn. Really point simple, right? Willing to learn the process with the intention to do the process. Ever teach anyone, train anybody guys, where they’re just kind of, you know, they’re there, but they’re not there. You know, they’re not actually trying to adopt what it is that there’s, that they’re seeing.
They really do have to be willing to, again, duplicate the process guys. Okay, let me continue. Okay, now this is another, this is more of a, uh, an attitude thing, okay? They are, as they go through Primerica, there’s going to be a lot of adjustments. Okay. But for example, a lot of us nine to fivers, we’re not used to so called working on Saturday, but you make the adjustment, right?
That’s just a very simple example, but there’s a lot of things that we talked about rejection before, you know, how your family responds to how they receive you about your entrepreneurial journey, right? It’s supposed to be questioned. It’s supposed to. So guys, again, lots of things here, each direct, again, why are we recruiting three to five new directs.
This is the why, because each direct can turn into a leader. How do we make sure that that can happen? You got to treat everyone like they can become a future VP. But you got to accept that, you know, this is a voluntary army. That’s another contradiction, right? Right? This is a voluntary, there’s so much to be attained in this business.
There’s so many, there’s so much gold, but at the same time, you got to voluntarily want it. So we accept that fact of life. With means, because again, the title of this talk is With and Depth. I’m gonna get to that, right? With means you’re constantly creating new raw material. You got to get that three to five.
Almost like how come we’re so used to quotas everywhere else in life, in business, and we don’t create a self quota for ourselves in Primerica. Right. Thank you. Right. Depth means that you’re creating more stability. Oh my gosh. I’m running out of time So I’m just gonna give you some visuals guys. I learned all the way back in New Yorker days as well.
You find Good quality when you go how deep guys I’m gonna quiz you guys For I don’t know who found that to be the truth, but I have certainly found over the years That great quality people comes through your directs and their directs and their directs. You see what I’m saying, guys? And you just have to have the stickability and the field training ability to identify those qualities that I discussed earlier.
Okay? Again, as you’re, one of the things, guys, in this business, people are people. You know, I’ve had, anybody had cancellations today? Okay? For attending this event, you know, I got some surprise ones, too Alright, but I choose to focus on the champions who made it out here Okay, I choose to see the winners in here who they went through the same difficulties Might I add to get here and I’m gonna control my attitude Okay, and I’m gonna control my schedule at all times guys.
So let me finish with this It’s a not about whether this works or not Truly We’ve already proven ourselves as a company. Okay. It’s about whether you are willing to do the work. Okay, the system works and this is my really something I want to say to you guys. When I came in this business I was not confident in myself, but I believed that this system could work.
