Southwestern Advantage

I had an amazing experience at the second 2025 Global Leadership Summit in Tempe, Arizona! I am so grateful for the opportunity to connect with other young professionals working in a variety of fields all over the country. We got to learn from leaders at Southwestern Advantage about topics like diversifying our skillsets, fostering stronger relationships as leaders, and creating confidence anchors by overcoming challenges. I want to thank my amazing mentor Stephen Kameka for continually investing in helping me reach my personal and professional goals and the rest of the campus team at the University of Florida for keeping me accountable and building an uplifting, goal-oriented environment. I’m excited to be gearing up for another summer of growth in one of the best entrepreneurial programs in the country. If you or anyone you know is still exploring summer internship opportunities, please click the link below or shoot me a message and I’d be happy to contact you with some information on our program! https://lnkd.in/eCnsm_Ke #leadership #business #sales #summerinternship

Southwestern Advantage brought me my best friends. I am so so thankful for the relationships that being in this program have brought me. A genuine part of relationship building is spending quality time with high caliber young people. Thank you Felila Tua'i for being a growth focused leader and best friend! Love my job, Love what I get to Do?? #157yearsofbuildingskillsandcharacter #doortodoorfoundation #swa

Who is a woman who has inspired your career? #IWD25 (2/5) Virgie Sandford Sandford - my Direct Sales Manager at Southwestern Advantage Advantage in college who challenged me to do more than I thought possible. She saw greatness in me when I doubted myself. Virgie never let me speak negativity over myself, and she gave me scary and risky opportunities like taking over recruiting for her organization as a 21-year-old. She's also the first person who taught me about compound interest and the power of positive self-talk. Yesterday I shared about my first boss in high school who inspired me... tomorrow I'll tell you about a woman who kicked my butt and still does to this day.

?? Back in college, I spent my summers selling books door-to-door. But not in my hometown—Southwestern Advantage would send us nearly a thousand miles away to places we had never been. Over three summers, I knocked on thousands of doors and sold over $150,000 worth of educational books. And if you’ve ever done door-to-door sales, you know how rare it is to walk into a stranger’s home and walk out 20 minutes later with a $500 or $600 check. But there was a key to making it work. It wasn’t about the perfect pitch. It wasn’t about being the best closer. It was about something much simpler: ? People don’t like being sold, but they love making smart decisions. Right before I’d demo the books, I’d say something like: "Pam and Jim, if these books are a good fit for your family, I’ll show you how nearly 300 other families are getting them from me this summer. But if they’re not, that’s totally fine—I’ll tell you a bad joke and get out of here." And every time, I could see their shoulders relax. Their guard dropped. They realized I wasn’t there to pressure them. And when people feel in control, they’re far more likely to buy. ?? Fast forward to today, and I use the exact same approach in my wealth management firm. When we take a prospective client through our complimentary second opinion process, we dedicate 10-20 hours of our time to reviewing their financial picture—knowing they may or may not become a client. And throughout that process, we remind them: "If we’re a good fit to work together, that’s great—I’d love to help. But if we’re not, that’s totally fine. I’m not going to send you a bill in the mail like a lawyer would for our time." I pause—and this always gets a laugh. And you know what? Just like in my book-selling days, it works. ? We believe the best decisions happen in the right atmosphere—one where there’s no pressure, just clarity. That’s why our complimentary second opinion process is designed to give families the insights they need to make the best decision for themselves. Some decide to move forward with us, while others simply walk away with a clearer financial picture. Either way, we’re here to help—not to sell. ?? The lesson? You can’t fake a buying atmosphere. You can’t just say the words—you have to mean it. People can tell when you genuinely don’t care what decision they make. And when they feel that? They trust you more. This is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in business—and one of the most valuable things I share with other advisors looking to grow. ?? Curious—how do you create a sense of trust in your business? Drop your thoughts in the comments.