I have my Ph.D. in Microbiology, and I had planned on using it. However, we moved to Boise, ID in 2002, and we love it here. I decided against moving to another city where I could use my degree since most biotech jobs are in California. Why move somewhere everyone else is leaving? I started looking for jobs here in Boise, and there aren’t any. I went to an interview at Sorrento Cheese; the job was a midnight shift doing tech work. I did enough midnight shifts working on my Ph.D. and the routine tech work would drive me crazy. That’s when I started looking at other career choices.  I looked at over 200 possibilities. I utilized SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) and the SBA (Small Business Administration) to hammer out ideas.

About this time, Dad’s brain tumor came back, and he had to have surgery again. Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 30. Luckily for us, he was the energizer bunny and took a licking but kept on ticking. His many surgeries were successful and he was able to work and be an invaluable part of our family activities for 30 years. He went in for his final brain surgery in January 2005. The surgery went well, but he had several complications afterward. He ended up totally losing his sight, and he just started going downhill. Dad received a terminal diagnosis on April 15, 2005, and he passed away April 27, 2005.

Having gone through that, I was so thankful that Dad beat the odds and lived that long. However, it also made me realize how important life insurance is. Luckily my dad had life insurance, he just didn’t have as much as he wanted when he became uninsurable. I realized that many people get into similar situations. They put off planning because it won’t happen to their family, and then it is too late. I got into Microbiology to be able to help people. It is amazing how much money is spent each year on supplements that do nothing but lighten your wallet. I came to the realization that the two areas that people need help the most is their health and their finances. How many financial get-rich-quick scams rob people of their money each year?

I had my new career picked out. I wanted to be an insurance agent. However, I also knew most people think of insurance agents as snakes. As I interviewed at a few companies, I found out why. Some companies are sleazy and only care about the bottom line. I couldn’t get out of their offices fast enough! Then I signed up for a counseling session at SCORE with Jack Merrigan. I didn’t know what his specialty was when I signed up for the session. I batted around some other ideas with him, and then I told him I was considering life insurance. His face lit up and he told me that he had a career with New York Life Insurance Company for 35 years. He introduced me to an active agent, Glenn Nichols. Glenn gave me some great advice and introduced me to Kevin Baumberger, the managing partner at the Boise General Office. Kevin bought me lunch, and it was at that lunch that I realized what an amazing company New York Life is and that it was the career I had been searching for.

I am now a financial professional and agent with New York Life Insurance Company. I love what I do. The best part is I am licensed in several states, so I can travel, see family, and do business. I love working for a company I don’t have to apologize or make excuses for. New York Life does the right thing. They have been in business for 160 years and plan to be around at least that long in the future. New York Life also spends a huge amount of money training us the first three years, so we know what we are doing. I know the work I do helps people prepare for their future financial security. This is my career for the next 30+ years.