Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven LaBroi.
Steven, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always dreamed of being my own boss even in the 1970’s as a child when it was not that popular to be a boss, mostly an employee and create a career. During this time schools were mostly teaching to work for someone. At the cusp of the baby boomers and start of Generation X we were left with the mindset of getting a “GOOD JOB”. I went to school to be a math/engineering major following the crowd until I realized I liked money/Finances and what it stands for, so I changed majors to finance/banking, a combo of math and money.
I started to interview for banking jobs and quickly found that I was more suited for sales and marketing instead. I currently have over 35 years of sales/marketing experiences. In the later part of my career, I began to work with start-up companies intentionally to share my experiences with as large companies were hiring younger employees especially after some past recessionary times. Start-up companies offered very entrepreneurial opportunities, less subjectivity, and real business opportunities to make an impact. I found myself working for a start-up Pharmaceutical company that became really successful after a ton of hard work. The benefits allowed me to step into my own entrepreneurial life and be able to finance all my own projects. I started a venture fund investing in projects and small business ideas for people in my network with or without business plans. This was before Shark Tank was televised. I funded a Men’s grooming lounge (high-end barbershop) and several consumer centered products even an infomercial. I bought two franchise stores and invested in some real estate projects, even loaned hard money for interest payments against secured collateral. This was a real business education and trial by fire. During this time success and failure trained me within the school of hard knocks. I downsized some of the ventures as quickly as possible (partnerships are not for everyone) and decided to go into the one area I can control without anyone else’s involvement “Insurance”.
The Insurance industry is a billion-dollar plus industry, that I decided I can operate solo and control my ability to be a self-starter sales professional. I have been an expert in personal finance strategy for the last ten years and it has seemed that it was an industry that African Americans were not well-educated event though it is an over 150-year-old industry. Curiosity of why it has not been of interest to African Americans at large got the best of me. I was able to learn more about the complexity, customization, and true benefits of the Insurance business/industry that other cultures have benefited from for years.
As I networked with other professionals in the industry I learned where I wanted to focus in this varied business. An independent agent/agency is what I found I wanted to do in the business. An independent agent has control over his/her contracts and affiliations like a broker. I wanted to present the best deal for my clients. Also, I found that at the age I was starting, I wanted to be in control as much as possible of my business beginning and ending (retirement). I wanted my own business. My insurance business provides me the opportunity to learn specialized strategies that are used by at large cultures to win in the wealth-building game. Also, helping business owners understand strategies that create intentional tax advantages, retirement earnings, and efficient cash flow to win. I love the opportunity to teach my clients who would otherwise not know some of these options that they and their families can WIN..
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road especially if you don’t have mentors or guidance to get you into areas where you have the best chance to grow and win. Also, the idea of not knowing what to do with money when it gets in your hands is a major problem. Habits are hard to break. I learned money management is an issue for a lot of us and if we are not trained what to do when money comes into our hands we will lose it. Cliché’s become real – Money does not grow on tree’s – put little money back – I can’t take it with me, etc. Without the knowledge of money management, you can easily be steered in the wrong direction. However, growing up with a single parent, she put me in all types of activities, so I would not get in any real trouble. Our athletic coaches I our young football and basketball leagues in Gary, Indiana were mostly police officers, who took pride in shaping the future of us young men. This was a big influence on us Doing The RIGHT THING!
The LaBroi Insurance Group – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The LaBroi Insurance Group and The LaBroi Commercial Strategies Group (a division) is all about strategy and true intentional benefit to the client. We are the “client’s agent”, we focus directly on educating the client and creating efficient tax, retirement, business credit, and efficient cashflows for our clients at any age. We also help with debt elimination, money management, and great credit and how to use it. We work with age old strategies using products like life insurance and annuities. These tools, if customized properly create a combined effect of protection, tax-free income and generational legacy all at the same time. The foundation book Build Your Human Equity Line of Credit teaches these principals before we even touch products. Our partners teach money management and estate planning to round out our services and protection of your portfolio. Our company works in over 40 states soon to be all of the USA to not exclude anyone.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When we become number 1 in the Life insurance category on Amazon with our book “Build Your Human Equity Line of Credit”. Check us out.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.labroiinsurancegroup.com
- Phone: 202-439-6545
- Email: slabroi@labroiinsurancegroup.com
- Instagram: labroiinsurancegroup
- Facebook: @labroiinsurancegroup
- Yelp: Labroi insurance Group
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