MDRT Australia’s Victorian State Committee delivered a value-rich event for their adviser peers in August.
The three presentations at this breakfast event variously reminded the audience of around 100 of the underlying value of life insurance advice to the consumer, the immeasurable value associated with the sharing of wisdom and experiences between fellow advisers and what it takes to be a success in this fantastic industry.
A victim of a freak motor vehicle accident, Julie Anne Metaxotos shared her story of courage with the audience.
She spoke of her life-changing relief when she realised she held income protection cover, which was a huge burden lifted from her shoulders as she experienced ongoing physical and medical issues associated with her accident (see: A Fractured Life, by Julie Metaxotos).
Having undergone 60 surgeries, and where she took as many steps back as forward, Julie said in a humbling comment, “We have a choice every day about how we go about addressing the issues that confront us.”
In a Q&A interview, Melbourne adviser and business owner, Ravi Agarwal related his first-time MDRT Annual Meeting to his peers. He said he hadn’t been convinced about the value of attending but related that he returned with “…millions of ideas” on how to build a better business and how to better serve his clients.
Ravi also told his peers it was “…just a fantastic opportunity to share and learn with others from around the world.” He said attending the MDRT Annual Meeting allowed him to access more wisdom and insights than he could if he confined his activities to Australia only and that “…being able to network on a global stage helps give you that perspective.”
The main speaker at this event was Queensland adviser and advice business co-Principal, Gino Saggiomo. In a presentation themed ‘From Mentee to Mentor ‘, Gino outlined his journey as an adviser and business owner, which included an honest assessment of his failures on his journey to well-earned success.
Gino’s frankness clearly resonated with his audience, in what was an outstanding presentation. For example, he told his peers he thought he ‘knew it all’, but it took about five years to realise he knew nothing!
Gino urged his peers to never stop striving for change in advocating they should follow a path of constant improvement.