Mikki Martinez: Taking a detour towards selfless service as a financial advisor, leader

Most of the time, what is meant for you will always find its way to you. That is how Mikki Martinez sees her long, stellar career as one of the top agency leaders in Pru Life UK.

Pru Life UK was already in her blood way before she actually joined the company, being the daughter of former district manager, Che Martinez—the company's very first branch manager. But Mikki initially veered away from following in her mother’s footsteps.

“When it comes to insurance in the family, it was my mom’s thing. She had already made a name for herself and had established herself in the industry, and I did not want to taint that in any way. So, I stayed away and did other things,” the President of One Diamond Life Insurance Agency, an agency franchised by Pru Life UK, told The Philippine STAR. 

She dabbled in different things, from being an employee in the corporate world, to attempting to being an entrepreneur of two businesses—a salon and a few kiosks in the malls.

But when those did not work out, her salon business partner and friend—who had been invited by Che to train to become a Pru Life UK financial advisor—asked Mikki to tag along for moral support. Little did she know that this would be the blessing in disguise.

“I attended the training, discovered how amazing it was, and ended up staying. That is the long and short of the start of my Pru Life UK journey,” she said. 

An insurance agent by heart

When she became a financial advisor in June 2012, Mikki was not entirely comfortable in being called an insurance agent. “Not too many people were proud to be called one. May stereotype na kasi ang pagiging ahente. I struggled with that at the start.”

But after attending a session called “Acceptance, Belief, and Commitment,” she had a total change of heart.

“That was my turning point. I fully embraced my acceptance of the business, my belief in the business, and my commitment to the business,” she said. “I realized the importance of being an insurance agent who makes sure that people are prepared for events in their lives that can be absolutely life changing.”

“Now, even after becoming an agency leader, I still consider myself an insurance agent by heart.”

And despite having known about the company through her mother before joining, she admitted having some initial struggles when it comes to doing her job.

“Whenever you start anything new, there will always be the struggle of not knowing what to do and how to do things. Especially how to do things right.” she explained. 

However, this did not stop Mikki from being a well-performing financial advisor. She equipped herself with the knowledge she needed by attending training sessions and reaching out to people who had already seen success in the business—the. people who knew what to do and how to do things right.

“I was very hungry for learning in the beginning, and that hunger helped me overcome the struggles that I had,” she said.

Compassionate leadership

Being a financial advisor for more than ten years has made Mikki develop a selfless mindset, coming to the realization that her career in Pru Life UK makes her a trusted partner and protector of Filipinos and Filipino families in the realm of financial protection.

This would lead her to start accepting the fact that to serve more unreached individuals who continue to be unaware of the importance of life insurance and protection cover, she could no longer do it on her own. The only next option was to become an agency leader and have partners who shared the same desire and passion to do what needed to be done.

“When I started looking beyond myself, and how limited my reach was as an agent was, I knew it was time to take the next step.” she recalled. “But what really made me cross the line was when I saw the people that I was going to do this with. That's when excitement won over the fear.”

Mikki had the confidence and motivation to become a pillar of selfless service because she was surrounded by her mentors and colleagues who encourage and inspire her to do better.

“When I saw the people who believed in me, when I saw the people who were going to be there for me—through the good and the not-so, when I stumbled or made mistakes, when I saw them rally together every time we were going for something—that is when I embraced leadership,” she further said.

A change in perspective

Making a name for herself throughout the years of providing Filipinos health and financial protection, Mikki garnered awards and recognition.

Not too long after joining Pru Life UK, she was named the company’s Agent of the Year and Top of the Table Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) qualifier, a global association that recognizes the top 3 percent of all financial professionals worldwide. Today, she is already an MDRT Life Member after qualifying year after year.

Yet, one of her most cherished moments in Pru Life UK was when she was promoted from agent to unit manager.

“It was a whole different ball game,” she recalled, “From agent to leader. From solo to team. There was a major shift in responsibility, and I now be accountable for others.”

“When you see your teammates and fellow agents succeed and grow to be leaders themselves, it cannot not be celebrated,” she said. “Leadership has changed me in more ways than one. Pru Life UK allowing me to grow in this business, to grow others, and to grow together has made the journey extra special for me. I will always be grateful to the company for that.”

Passing the torch

Now, as one of the top agency leaders in Pru Life UK, as an area manager, she has also inspired her daughter, Nikka and son-in-law Patrick to join her in the business, just as her mom did.

“Nikka and Patrick developed an appreciation for the business and the work that I was doing, and they recently officially became part of the team. I can see that they, too, have the desire and passion to reach out and share the importance of financial protection and awareness,” she said. “I am excited for them, and I know they too will love the work as I have.”

When asked what advice she would give to other financial advisors who want to succeed in the business, Mikki starts with one word: obedience.

“It’s very crucial if you want to succeed in this business, that you know how to obey. There is no benefit to me as a leader if you fail. So, you can trust that whatever it is that I encourage you to do, whatever session or training I encourage you to attend and advise I give, you can be sure it’s for your own benefit,” she said. 

“That is how I started. I trusted my leaders, my mentors, my colleagues, and I believed that they wanted only for me to succeed as they have.”

In addition, Mikki carries a piece of advice from her mother Che, and that is to decide once and manage daily. “You don't change your destination just because it rains tomorrow. You bring out your umbrella and you go where you were supposed to. That's how I stay the course.”

At the end of day, when asked what is next for her in Pru Life UK, Mikki has set her sights on being district manager, the pinnacle of agency leadership, not just for herself but for her team. 

“This is what we all want, and this is what we're excited about. It’s really just a matter of time,” she said.

More to be done

But apart from finding fulfillment in seeing her team grow, Mikki believes Pru Life UK has given her work-life harmony. It is a perfect blend of work and life, with no line separating the two.

“I live so I can do the work I love doing, and my work allows me to live the life I love.” she said. “Pru Life UK has given me that opportunity and I will always be grateful to find myself in that environment.”

Doing the right thing with the right people, motivated by the mission to be there for others, reaching more Filipino families, and carving her own mark in the life insurance industry’s largest agency force of more than 40,000—and yet, Mikki believes there is still much to be done. 

“It has been more than ten years but I still manage to wake up every morning and be grateful that I am where I am, doing what needs to be done. As the Lord leads,” she said.

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For more information on Pru Life UK, please visit www.prulifeuk.com.ph.

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Editor's note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring, and educational content created by The Philippine STAR in collaboration with brands like Pru Life UK.