How Mark Neilson Went From Trailer Park Rags To Life Insurance Riches
Neilson became the No. 1 agent at his first insurance company before starting his own business.
Presented by Luke Lintz
The thought of having a better life probably crossed the mind of every person in the world. It’s only natural but the difference is whether a person is ready to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. The difference is whether this person has that inner spark that will drive them to do more and achieve more.
Several years ago, that inner spark drove Mark Neilson to spread his wings and try to make a name for himself. Back then, Neilson was just a kid with nothing but a dream and spare change in his pocket, but today, he is one of the youngest top producers in the history of the entire multibillion-dollar insurance industry.
Mark’s journey to the top was all but easy. He grew up in Alaska in an old, rusty trailer with two hard-working, loving parents. At the time, money was difficult to come by in Alaska, but his parents did everything they could to make ends meet. His mother worked all sorts of odd jobs to help support her husband, who worked as a commercial fisherman.
Mark was well aware of their unfortunate situation, and as he grew older, he started to pitch in any way he could. From running a lemonade stand to working at the family firework stand with his father, he aimed to survive yet another day by making money in any way he could. Still, whenever Mark went to bed, sometimes even with a half-empty stomach, he dreamed that he wouldn’t have to struggle and worry about money one day.
Still, there was one huge problem—he had a desire but didn’t know how. Worse, the recession was at an all-time high, and nobody would hire him. “I remember that I applied for every single job available on Craigslist. Bartending, driving, and even nursing,” says Mark Neilson. “And no one would hire me. I either had no qualifications or didn’t know how to sell my resume.”
But Mark’s hopes were still high, and he was persistent in making his dream come true. And if it weren’t for his desire and inner drive that kept him pushing forward, he would never have seen and responded to the job ad that turned his life around. It was an entry-level position at the insurance company, and at that moment, the cogwheels clicked into place. Mark Neilson went to the interview, aced it, and the rest is history.
Hungry for knowledge and success, Neilson went through training programs quickly and soon mastered the art of the trade. Not long after, he became the No. 1 agent in the whole company. First, he broke the weekly sales record. Then came the monthly sales record. And after that, he joined the Million Dollar Club and also became the first person ever to hit the necessary quota for the Diamond Club.
Neilson was stringing together win after win. And even though he was given the opportunity of a lifetime, Neilson still wanted more and decided to go one step further. He decided to go solo and use his skills and knowledge to build his own company.
“I must admit, I was breaking all these records, including Million Dollar Club, Gold Club, Diamond Club, Founders Club, Top Producer, Presidents Club; I got them all,” says Neilson. “I needed a new challenge, and building my own business was my only next step.”
Neilson’s persistence was the trigger that started the chain reaction. Still, he believes that two things helped him achieve this enormous success—his willingness to constantly learn new things and the incredible people that he was surrounded with.
“Your success depends on your drive, actions, and the people around you. Your part is simple. To play it right, you must constantly improve yourself and learn new skills and things, ” Neilson says. “The moment you stop learning, you stop growing, and there is no space for progress.”
“The second part is people around you,” he adds. “If you are surrounded by negative people who only drag you down, you will go under. But if you have people who share your vision, only the sky’s the limit. And when you combine the best version of yourself with people willing to help you achieve your dream, success is guaranteed.”
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