MY
STORY AND YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
Calvin Lee | 91736878 | calvin@calvin-lee.com
ABOUT
ME
I
started my career upon my Master's Degree as a R&D
engineer working in DSO National Laboratories. From there,
I moved on to different functions within engineering, including
software
development, application support, sales, and strategic marketing. Just
before I ventured out to start my own business, I was working
as a Marketing Manager in Infineon. The job required me to
meet
clients and travel around the
Asia Pacific Region. My stay in Infineon had been a pleasant and
memorable one. I had very good bosses; was promoted four times within
six years and earned
a very enviable six-figure annual income. I was also amongst the few
selected to be in the pioneer batch of the Talent Development
Program of Infineon.
Many
people asked:
"Having such great prospects at Infineon, why did I leave?"
"Why join the financial services industry?"
"Why take such risks when I am the main breadwinner with two young
kids?"
Yes, the decision six years ago was never easy! It took a
lot of courage
and many discussions with my understanding wife. Today, I am so glad
that
I took the decision to move myself out of my comfort zone. Let me
explain why.
WHY
INSURANCE?
My
first association with insurance started 21 years ago. I was a
final year student at Singapore
Polytechnic. That night in 1993, I got a call from my uncle saying that
my Dad
had met with a car accident. I rushed all the way from my project lab
in
Singapore Polytechnic to the hospital, only to find out that my beloved
Dad had
passed away. He was a bus driver and mechanic, and had just finished
repairing
his bus when he was knocked down by a lorry while walking home. It was
a
hit-and-run case. Till today, the lorry driver was never found.
With six
children including myself, it would have been very difficult
financially for my
Mum just to maintain the basic household expenses, if not for the
insurance
payout. I would not have succeeded in having a University education
lest obtaining a Master's degree. Had it not been for the gift of love
that my Dad
had planned for us, my Mum, a housewife, who has never
previously
worked would be in dire straits with her six children with survival.
All this is possible, because my Dad took
the decision to buy an insurance policy.
Apart
from my gratefulness witnessing first hand how insurance had helped my
life, there are three other reasons why I choose to
leave my engineering job to start my own business in the financial
services industry:
Firstly,
even though I was doing very well at
Infineon, I could never guarantee that the good life will stay forever.
No one could
guarantee that I will never be retrench should the economy take a hit.
This is especially true if I move on to my 40s or
50s. No one could guarantee that I will still be having such a
well-paying job,
especially when I have seen so many cases of people taking a huge pay
cut when
forced to move from one job to another. I decide that the best security
I can
have is to start my own business and build up a skills where I can have
full
control of what would happen to me. The financial services industry
allows me to
achieve this security.
Secondly, my previous job requires me to be overseas, up to 50% of the
time.
Initially, that was indeed exciting and enjoyable. After six good years
at
Infineon, it left me thinking many times if this was the lifestyle I
want. With
two young kids, I decide that it will be best to spend more time with
them as they were growing up. The
financial services industry allows me to have the time flexibility to
spend
more time with them. You cannot imagine the joy
of simply watching my little girl winning her medals on Sports Day or
celebrating the
birthday of my young boy in his childcare centre, without the need to
apply for
leave.
Thirdly, it has always been my dream to be financially independent by
Age 45.
With that, it means I have the option to work or not to work, without
having to
worry about money. In the corporate world, it would have been almost
impossible, even if I were to get an envious pay increment of 10% every
year.
The maths are pretty straight-forward. In the financial planning
business, the
sky is really the limit. The income is based purely on our own effort.
No more
appraisals and no more politics. How much you earn is simply how much
effort you
put in the business. For me, besides working hard, it's always exciting
to be thinking
about different strategies on growing the business.
WHAT
YOU COULD DO TOO!
Life
is short and I like fast-track.
Even before I move into this business, I had made a decision
to
do well. My
first two years in the business had been a hectic one. I worked seven
days
a week. At the same time, I made sure I made available time for my
family and my regular jogging routine to stay fit and healthy.
I was the First Runner-Up Top Rookie of AXA in
Year 2009, proudly receiving the award on stage witnessed by
my
supportive family,
including my Mum, Brother, Wife and Kids. I was also awarded
the
membership for
Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT®)
the first year I entered the
industry. The membership represents the Top 5% of financial services
professionals worldwide. I again
qualified for my second MDRT®
in Year 2010, giving me a resounding
evident that I can do well in
this business. To date, I have qualified for every Sales Convention of
AXA, including Cruise-To-Nowhere, Bangkok, Seoul, Jeju, Hokkaido, Rome
& Vienna, Munich, Macau, Hawaii.
I also believed strongly in upgrading myself and had obtained the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification since 2010 and CHARTERED FINANCIAL CONSULTANT® certification since 2012. Both are the highest professional certifications in the industry, and recognized individuals who have demonstrated technical competency and combined significant practical financial planning experience.
All
these accomplishments re-affirmed my belief that so long
as you
work hard, you will be greatly rewarded.
YOU
ARE INVITED TO BE ONE OF US
In
2011, I started my
own unit in Desmond Kwa Organisation, which
has always been one of the Top Organisation in AXA.
We have
also been proudly awarded the Top Organisation in AXA in 2013 and 2014.
As a
unit manager, I am focussing very
much
on training, coaching, and having joint field work with my eight
associates. It
has been great to be able to share and transfer what I learnt in the
business
so far. To date, all the associates in Calvin Lee Unit have achieved
remarkable
results, with all involved had qualified for the inaugural Somerset
Achievers Award
in July 2011. Two of them qualified for the prestigious MDRT®
awards in 2012.
In addition, every 2 out of 3 associates with at least 12 months
experience in our team, earned six-figure annual income. The financial
achievements allow them to create a lifestyle which they desire.
Besides
their hard
work and strong desire for success, our stringent
selection criteria
had helped in having only the best in the unit.
At the same time, we ensure that we have a transferable franchise
system for
associates and enabling them to pick up the required skills
set effectively and efficiently.
Rather than having to re-invent the wheels, why not leverage on a
franchise
system incorporating more than 28 years of financial planning
experience?
That's also the reason why Desmond Kwa Organisation represents, beside
being one of the Top
Organisation in AXA, it is also one of the organisation with the most
productive
associates. Each of the more than 50 associates in the organisation are
carefully selected to be part of this highly motivated team.
Additionally, our marketing strategy and industry collaboration ensured
a regular source of clients without resorting to the need of
cold-calling. We believe in providing very quality leads to help our
associates to kick-start and do well in their business.
Building on a strong foundation, on January 2015, we formed our very own organisation, Calvin Lee Organisation, and embarked on another exciting phase of our business. Riding on our momentum, on 15 April 2016, we founded First Adviser, a group of agency units representing AXA Life Insurance Singapore Pte Ltd
THANK
YOU FOR YOUR READING AND A FINAL NOTE...
You
are probably asking yourself: Is
this a career for me?
You will never know unless you take the very first step to find out
more!
Click here to find out more about career opportunities with AXA Life!
TALK TO US FOR A CAREER PROVIDING INCOME, INDEPENDENCE AND IMPACT!
