JOHN CLAYTON
What were you doing before Symmetry and what was your approximate income?
I was a Sales Manager for different retail stores. The most recent company was AT&T, I was with them for 9 years. By the time I left, I had a company car and an American Express card, and I was making over $65,000 a year. However, I was not satisfied with my career. In order to get promoted to a different position, I would either have to uproot my wife and kids and relocate to another area or wait until someone retired. I felt stuck for so long.
What attracted you to Symmetry Financial Group?
The opportunity Symmetry offered to me and my family was not offered at AT&T. Most of the corporations I worked for wanted me to manage their stores and businesses. They wanted a Manager/Employee. However, Symmetry extended a business opportunity to me and my family. They did not want employees; Symmetry wanted LEADERS! They were looking for hungry people that wanted more in life, and I wanted a whole lot more in life. I felt like my life was the same stuff, different day. I wore the same colored AT&T shirts, the same restaurants for lunch, I saw the same customers, and heard the same jokes or complaints. I was mentally exhausted, plus I gained 30lbs over the span of 5 years because I was eating fast food for lunch, everyday. I was tired and no longer satisfied with the status quo. I didn’t want to have to ask permission to take a vacation, lunch, or time off. I wanted true autonomy. I no longer wanted to wait for my annual review to get a $1.00 raise. I wanted to control my own income. I no longer wanted to deal with upper management personality and micro-management. Symmetry did not want to micromanage me; they wanted to develop me and teach me how to hold myself accountable. I’ve always been a fan of personal growth and development, and Symmetry shared that same vision as I did. When I saw ordinary people, like myself, making an extraordinary income, I was all in. Now, I get to OWN my business instead of managing someone's business.
How has your life changed since joining Symmetry?
My wife and both worked at AT&T. I was employed with them for 9 years, and my wife was employed with them for over 16 years. We made over $100,000 a year as a family, but a little over $6,500 to $7,000 were deposited into our accounts on a monthly basis collectively. However, after 2 1/2 years with Symmetry my deposits with Symmetry on a monthly basis have been more than my wife's and my deposits with AT&T combined. My largest deposit was $19,799.32 in one month. It would have taken me over 4 months to bring that income home with my last employer. I became a full time agent with Symmetry in March 2018. After 2 1/2 years with Symmetry, I RETIRED my wife from AT&T on September 1, 2020. Now my wife can be with our two sons (Jabari 7 years, and Jahloni 10 months) and nurture them as much as she wants to.
What opportunities have you been able to do or provide because you started working with Symmetry Financial Group, that you likely would not have done or unable to in another career?
We have been able to travel to Hawaii, Belize, Cozumel, Disney, the Grand Canyon, Vegas, cruises, and several other destinations since I began my career with Symmetry. I was able to travel before, but I had to limit my vacations to a week or less. Now, we can stay as long as we like without worrying about my job or money. My oldest son (Jabari) loves to sit in my office while I’m on conference calls or conducting conference calls. He always say that he wants to be a boss like his daddy. That really makes me proud because I am present in his life. He never said he wanted to be a manager with my former employer. I am able to provide the lifestyle that I always wanted to give to my family without sacrificing time or money. One of the greatest opportunities I have with Symmetry is development. I am able to coach, mentor, and develop other agents into a business owner. I couldn't train or teach my employees to own a company because I did not own a company at the time. I can only train them to become a manager. Now, I can duplicate myself and teach agents how to develop themselves into Leaders, so they can own their agency one day.
What advice do you have for a new agent?
My advice to any new agent is don't give up. Do not hang around people that do not support or lift you up. Read everyday and listen to everything your mentor says and you will achieve more success than you can imagine. If your dreams do not come as quick as you think they should, be patient and continue to work. Your dreams will come true if you do not quit.
That’s our story.
Now it’s time to start writing your own.