Education Started Before I Reached Columbus
How a seven-hour drive and intentional curiosity transformed a business meeting into an unexpected education.
The Education Started Before I Reached Columbus
By Susan Lyn Sykes
My seven-hour drive to Columbus, Ohio, for the Equis Financial face-to-face meeting turned out to be productive long before I arrived.
During the drive, I listened to recorded Medicare training from Miss Faye's SKOOL. One conversation about preparing for AEP caught my attention: group homes.
Instead of simply hearing the suggestion, I asked, "Why would group homes be a good place to connect with people?" That question led me to research the opportunities and think differently about where Medicare conversations can happen.
I also began thinking about partnerships with established property and casualty offices—possibly creating a small workspace without the expense of maintaining a traditional office.
Then something unexpected happened.
Because I was intentionally looking for people who could relate to and potentially help an agent in my pipeline whose native language is not English, I started meeting successful agents from different backgrounds. One was from Jamaica. Another was newer to the business but brought extensive Medicare call-center experience. Each conversation gave me another perspective.
When I finally arrived in Columbus, the experience continued. I stayed in a beautiful historic German area filled with cobblestone streets, brick, hardwood floors, and details that made the history come alive.
Then came the Equis Financial face-to-face meeting.
There were exciting announcements, including the move to 80% for beginning agents and more opportunities for advancement.
But for me, the biggest takeaway wasn't one announcement.
It was realizing that learning can happen everywhere—on the road, in conversations, through other people's experiences, and whenever we're willing to ask, "Why?"
I went to Columbus for a meeting.
I came home with new ideas, new connections, and a bigger vision for where this journey can take me.
