On this episode of MOVE, Andy Albright welcomes Vanilla Ice, aka Rob Van Winkle, to discuss a wide range of topics during The Alliance's Family Reunion in Burlington, N.C. on July 30, 2021.  www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright www.NAALeads.com @NAALeadsTheWay @NationalAgentsAlliance #N247RU #DoTheDo #TheAlliance

Andy Albright's MOVE: Principles For Getting The Best Results

Ice Ice Baby: Vanilla Ice Meets Andy Albright

There are hugely important in all our lives. To some, they are just random dates. To others, they represent things like birthdays, graduation dates and weddings. It’s amazing how minor one day can be to the masses, but mean so much to one person. May 28, 2012 is that date for Paul Roberts and his family. It’s when he asked God to make him stop. That’s the day Roberts got sober. He’s been that way for more than nine years, sharing his journey with family, friends and members of The Alliance. Prior to that day, Roberts drank socially, but that wasn’t when was at his worst. The bad times were when he drank alone. He would drink liquor while sitting in his bathroom alone. One night he woke up in his garage and wasn’t really sure why he was there. In January of 2012 he finally hit rock bottom. There were multiple trips to the emergency room to get help after rounds of binge drinking. He started hallucinating and had thoughts that he was burden on his wife, Tamara and their daughters – Torre and Randi. Luckily, that stopped on May 28, 2012. During the last nine years, Roberts has gone from losing cars and houses to replacing them with significant upgrades. The anxiety he fought for so long to find his next drink has been replaced with celebrating milestones, running various distance races and helping agents become successful. In early May, Roberts hit another major milestone in his professional career when through his company, Roberts Alliance (aka Roberts Rockstars), helped Roberts become a managing partner with Integrity Marketing Group. Roberts and Tamara are the first members of The Alliance to partner with Integrity since Andy and Jane Albright joined forces with Dallas-based Integrity, the nation’s largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products. The Roberts Rockstars group has grown from a small office into a space that allows Roberts to host meetings and events. It’s a special space because of the history he has with it. It was formerly SouthWest Beer and Wine Mart, a place Roberts stopped at almost daily to buy more alcohol. When Roberts stopped drinking the mart closed less than 90 days later. Roberts was surprised and joked that he had put them out of business when he stopped drinking. The space became New Hope Church for a little while. One day Roberts saw that the building was available because the church was moving. After several visits to see the space, Roberts felt comfortable making this the new home of Roberts Rockstars. Since the move, Roberts is focused on helping agents grow through coaching and showing them what is possible with a little work. “I want it bad for them,” Roberts said. “I’ve got mine and now I have to help them get theirs too. Becoming a partner with Integrity has really opened things up for all of us to shoot for partner.” Roberts is a leader who has shown that with unbreakable determination, one can overcome even the toughest odds. Entering the insurance industry was a leap of faith for Roberts. However, he came equipped with over a decade of experience in professional recruiting. That experience taught him the power that building strong relationships and demonstrating compassion can have on a business. Today, Roberts Alliance supports a national network of life and health insurance agents who help thousands of American families find the coverage they need. The company placed more than $25 million in annual paid premium during 2020. "When we started Roberts Alliance, our mission was simply to serve families," Roberts said. "But in life, I've learned you can't do anything alone and we were ready for the next step. Now that we've joined Integrity, we can reach thousands more Americans than we could on our own. Integrity will take many back-office responsibilities off my plate, so I can serve my team more than ever before. I can't wait to see where this journey takes us, and I am so excited that Roberts Alliance is joining forces with Integrity." No one is prouder of Paul Roberts than The Alliance CEO Andy Albright. He’s been right there with Roberts, who started working with The Alliance in 2005. Albright calls Roberts an example and inspiration for others who are facing their own struggles. “Paul’s journey is nothing short of inspiring in terms of where he was in 2012 to where he is in 2021,” Albright said. “Through it all, he’s continued helping people grow. He’s one of our greatest success stories, which is why Integrity wanted to make him a partner. Jane and I couldn’t be happier for Paul and Tamara. I predict the Roberts Rockstars are going to grow like crazy moving forward.” Bryan W. Adams, co-founder and CEO of Integrity, echoed Albright’s comments. “The story, intensity and passion that Paul brings is truly inspirational and we're honored to partner with him and his team," Adams said. "This partnership will allow Integrity to invest in Paul's business and give him more access to technology and tools, as well as provide crucial resources to help him support his agents. We believe you can never have too many all-star players on one team. Adding Paul to our Integrity family is going to add to our powerhouse squad." Fueled by industry-leading technology, the Integrity platform offers a vast toolkit of resources to help Roberts Alliance achieve monumental growth. Partners have access to proprietary quoting and enrollment technology, product development and a world-class advertising and marketing firm. Roberts will continue to run his business while taking advantage of Integrity's centralized business functions, such as accounting, human resources, IT and legal. He will also collaborate with the country's leading partners that have already joined Integrity's network. Roberts Alliance will also have access to the leading skill sets of Integrity Partners.   “Our vision has always centered around family, community and team," Roberts said. "With the Employee Ownership Plan (for our staff), our incredibly loyal employees can now share in a piece of Integrity. They are being given a place of honor within our corporate family. I couldn't be more thrilled about our next chapter of growth with Integrity. This partnership opportunity provides us endless possibilities."

5-28-12: Paul Roberts

On this episode of MOVE, you'll hear an interview with Jake and Belle Crause, who are no strangers when it comes to being part of an elite, special and – most importantly -- winning team. The couple chatted with Mac Heffner to talk about how they joined The Alliance, and took advantage of the opportunity. The Crauses both had impressive military careers in the Army, where they couldn’t always tell people what they had done. Now, they can tell the world and invite them to join The Alliance too. Jake remembers the first time he saw Belle was right after finishing basic training in the Army in Huntsville, Ala. Jake, who served for 22 years before retiring in September of 2018, was in a break room when Belle walked in the room. “I was struck by her immediately,” Jake said of seeing his future wife. “She was pretty, she had a great smile, and she doesn’t remember meeting me but that was how we met.” If Belle had followed the path of most people in the small town where she grew up in southeastern Kentucky, she would never have met Jake. Belle was the first in her family to graduate from high school. Her family’s home didn’t have running water until she was a teenager. Most women in her town were married and had children before they turned 20. It was a poor town, where people don’t dream big and most never leave. Belle wanted more. She read about different places in the world. An army recruiter came to her school when she was 13 and told her she had options. That gave her the lifeline she needed to live a different life than the people she grew up around. Belle knew she was going to join the Army. “I couldn’t fathom staying where I was,” Belle said. “Once you get a taste of that freedom and get a taste that there could be more, you starve for it. You are always after the next level of how you can do more and how you can do better.” On the other side of the country, Jake grew up south of Seattle, Wash. in a town called Kent. As a young boy, Jake went to a state fair and saw an airplane show. He knew the sky was where he wanted to be when he grew up. While Jake had opportunities, he didn’t have enough money to attend college. Jake’s path was the Army. It was also his ticket to become a pilot. After meeting at basic training, the couple dated for about six months. They were married on a beach in Florida as they were finishing up Explosive Ordinance Disposal training. Jake deployed a week later. This was basically the routine during the next 22 years. Belle served for eight years in the Army but was badly injured during an explosion in June of 1996. The blast at the Khobar Towers in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia killed 19 people and threw Belle across the room, injuring her back. “There’s days where she is down because of her back. She takes away my excuses and a lot of other people’s excuses by going out and still doing that,” Jake said. “Her military service was very significant, and I want everybody to know that.” As Jake continued deploying for months at a time, Belle raised the couple’s two children – Heidi and Jacob. Eventually, Jake joined a Special Operations Aviation Regiment called the Night Stalkers. He flew in more than 15 combat deployments, some of which movies have been made about. As Jake clearly had an identity with the military, Belle was losing her role as stay-at-home mom. Her kids were adults, and she need to find a new purpose.     “I was looking for something more when the opportunity of The Alliance came around,” Belle said. “The kids had gotten older, and I was getting into a new phase of life where it wasn’t so centered around raising the children and the home front as much. That’s when this opportunity came along.” In 2016, Jake was still in the military, but kept seeing fellow Night Stalker Brandon Bules talking to people on the phone or listening to conference calls. Jake finally asked Bules what he was doing. Jake wanted no part of sales or insurance, but he thought Belle would be great at it. Jake was right, and he eventually warmed up to the idea of working with The Alliance too. Jake said the culture attracted him, which was something he loved about the Army. “I don’t know where I got this negative perception about sales and insurance,” Jake said. “I knew Brandon was up to something. He’s always been business-minded, and I could just tell he was working on something. Now, looking back, I know he was listening to calls like The Wednesday Call. I finally asked him about it, and I initially rejected it. But, I knew Belle could do it. I pictured her being able to pick it up and run with it.” Belle got her license in June of 2016. Jake was deployed at the time, but she was able to run business one day each week on Saturday. She did that for six months, and soon realized she could sell life insurance. She also found a new family, and she said fell in love with the people at The Alliance. “Everything I had done for the last 10 years, the kids were outgrowing it,” Belle said. “I needed something else to identify with. I was grateful I had been a stay-at-home mom, but children grow up and they don’t need you as much. It was scary. I needed a next step. It was a crossroads I was at when I went to that first meeting in Seattle.” After initially not wanting any part of The Alliance, Jake changed his tune. “My negative view quickly changed once I met some of the people because I could see the joy in people’s eyes and see the dreams they had,” Jake said. “It changed quickly. I saw it as something we could do together. We had never really been able to work together toward the same goal and dream. This was something we could do together, and I didn’t’ have to leave for months at a time to do it.” After working part-time for the first six months, Belle increased the time she spent working and eventually moved to full time. The turning point for the Crauses came after attending a National Convention at The Alliance’s headquarters in Burlington, N.C. The next week Belle wrote almost $18,000. The fire was lit, and the couple hasn’t slowed down since. “We got nuggets at that convention that turned into belief,” Belle said. “I saw what people were achieving, and I knew we could do it too. I saw people just like me. They were new to insurance too, and they were doing it with a high level of success.” In the last three years, Jake Crause was able to retire from the Army and work with The Alliance full time. The Crauses have won trips to Hawaii and Paris. They’ve already won the Alaskan Cruise trip in 2022. While in Paris, the Crauses dined atop the Eiffel Tower with Tim and Nicky Long, another member of the Night Stalkers who also joined The Alliance. They documented the experience by taking a photo together. “Travel in The Alliance is way different than traveling in the Army,” Jake said. “They never left gifts on my bed in Iraq and Iran. It was a bit of a shock for us to travel like we do with The Alliance.” Beyond the trips and travel, the world of possibilities has opened for the Crauses. Jake says that is thanks to the vision of The Alliance’s President and CEO Andy Albright. “Andy Albright has expanded our whole thought process about what is possible,” Jake said. “We had very narrow ideas of what life was going to be like for us. We won the lottery when we found The Alliance.” The Crauses are excited about where they are now but are bullish about their future with The Alliance. They believe the best is yet to come, no matter what your goals and dreams are. “It is achievable if you just do the right things and put in the work,” Belle said. “When you start going on some of these trips, you start to see what is possible. If you work hard at it, it can be done. The entire country is like our backyard now. We used to have limiting factors, and now we don’t. It’s just a quick airplane ride away.” www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright www.NAALeads.com @NationalAgentsAlliance @NAALeadsTheWay #TheAlliance #DoTheDo #N247RU

Jake and Belle Crause: Service-Minded Leaders

Andy Albright Interview With Aaron Golub's Blind Ambition Podcast

Now or Never ... When Brandon Beal walks in a room, it’s hard not to notice him. He’s big and muscular. Really big. At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, the former Northern Illinois tight end stands out -- and above -- most people. If the Beal name sounds familiar, it should. Bradley Beal, one of Brandon’s brothers, is an NBA All-Star for the Washington Wizards, who grew up idolizing Brandon’s exploits on the hardwood and gridiron in the St. Louis area. Bradley told STLToday.com that it was Brandon, not Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, that was his favorite player growing up. “My mother and grandmother have both told me about his eyes never left me when I played,” Brandon said. “During a game you don’t notice something like that. Wherever I went, that’s where his eyes went. I had no idea.” Growing up, sports were never far from the Beal family. Bobby and Besta Beal both played two sports in college. They expected their children to earn athletic scholarships just like they did. All five boys did just that.   Brandon loved playing basketball and baseball, but in high school it became obvious that his best shot might be via football and the dream of playing professionally in the NFL. “God gave me an ability to catch anything that was thrown in the same zip code, but it was a love-hate relationship I had with football,” Beal said. “I could have tried to play both sports, but I wanted to go to a big, Division I school. You couldn’t tell me anything back then.” At Northern Illinois, Beal had a solid career. During a game against Minnesota his junior year, he tore up his left knee. He bounced back and played in 11 games his senior season. He went undrafted, but had a solid Pro Day where he caught the interest of the Cincinnati Bengals. Near the end of his tryout, he suffered an Peroneus Brevis injury that led to more rehab. He played in an Arena Football League for a Chicago team but never realized his NFL dream. Beal’s next move was to enter the fitness industry as a personal trainer and was also working a sales job in Chicago and Long Island, N.Y. Brandon was able to live his pro sports dream vicariously through baby brother Bradley (who was 18 at the time) when he was the No. 3 pick by the Wizards in the 2012 NBA draft. “My parents pulled me to the side and asked if me and my brother Bruce could move to D.C. and help Bradley out because he had never been out in the real world on his own,” Brandon said. “I told them I could do that, so that’s what we did.” Once Bradley was settled and doing his NBA thing, Brandon made his way to Menifee, Calif. with his girlfriend, Ashley in 2016. Did we mention Ashley played basketball for the University of Oregon Ducks and professionally in Australia? The two athletes were married on Sept. 16, 2018. “We had taken a vacation to Hermosa Beach and loved it,” Brandon said. “I told Ashley that week that we were going to eventually move out there. I think we did about six months later.” The next transition came when Brandon was approached about selling insurance with a group from the West Coast, who found him on Instagram. Brandon was still working in the personal trainer field, but was certainly open to new opportunities. He got started in December of 2016 and by July of 2017 says he had made exactly … nothing. Not a hundred dollars, not $20, not even a penny. Eventually, Brandon Beal crossed paths with Ed Soto, which led to meeting Stephen Davies and eventually Andy Albright. Soto was relentless in recruiting Beal, who finally said he would give it a shot. Albright, Davies and Soto made a plan to get Beal to The Alliance corporate office in Burlington, N.C. Beal attended The Wednesday Call and met Albright for the first time. “I remember this guy being so loud and just so funny, but there was a realness to him you know,” Beal said of Albright. “A lot of people can talk their way out of a lot of stuff, but it’s hard to do that when you are talking to thousands of people. I see all these people following him for years, so I fell in love with him right there. I might have talked to him for two or three minutes, and I asked him if I could do this. He said anybody could do it, so I told him I’m ready.” One of the main things that drew Beal to The Alliance was seeing how top leaders and producers were willing to help other agents, even when there was no financial gain in it for them. “A lot of places are very transactional, and I didn’t like that,” Beal said. “What I saw with The Alliance was people like Davies, Albright, Paul Roberts and Diane Lampe helping people. I saw people calling me back and texting me back when I was a nobody here. I’m still a nobody, but I loved seeing how the team was willing to help coach other people.”  Davies, of Asheville, N.C., remembers thinking that Beal had the potential to be great. “Brandon has brought his drive, work ethic, and desire to win from the football field into the business,” Davies said. “He also has that same love of the team and is a constant encourager to his teammates. Hollie and I love Brandon and Ashley and are excited to help wherever we can and watch their story unfold.” As Beal has continued to work hard, he’s found success with The Alliance. In September of 2019, the Beals hit Agency Manger, then hit District Manager in October. But, Beal doesn’t want anybody to think he has arrived yet. “I’m all about winning and I’m about being the best that I can be,” Beal said. “My goal is to be there best there ever was. Why shoot for anything lower? That’s just ridiculous to me. When you play a sport, your objective is to win and then be the best at it.” There’s one more piece of the puzzle that drives Beal, now 35, to think about today and move with urgency. Brandon was in Houston, Texas for an NBA all-star game in Feb. of 2013 with his brother, Bruce and some other friends. He was having trouble catching his breath and felt like his heartrate was elevated. “My heart was racing, my face was like blueish purple,” Beal said. “I could not breathe. I could not catch my breath. I felt like I was having a heart attack.” Beal was 27 at the time. When he got back to Washington, D.C., he met with the Wizards’ team doctors. He went to major hospitals at Duke University, Georgetown, George Mason University, Johns Hopkins, etc. Finally, he got the diagnosis: cardiomyopathy. He was told he had the heart function of a 60-year-old man. That’s tough news to swallow when you are in great shape, don’t smoke or do drugs and only drink alcohol on special occasions. Beal also lost two friends to heart attacks that were both around the age of 30. Neither had life insurance. Doctors have told Beal his heart could give out on any given day … they just don’t know. It’s all the motivation he needs to wake up daily and make the most of the time he’s been given. “I have most crazy amount of urgency you’ve ever seen,” Beal said. “That’s why I’m recruiting like crazy, that’s why I’m trying to put big premium up on the board and enjoy my life because I don’t know how long I’m going to be here. “God doesn’t promise time to anybody if you think about it. There’s an old saying, ‘from the first slapping cry, we all start to die.’”

Brandon Beal: Now Or Never

It’s 6:35 a.m. on a Sunday morning in November when a text pops up on the phone. The message is from Megan Wood, who is scheduled to be interviewed for this article at 8 a.m. She’s asking if the interview can be pushed back to 9 a.m. Why the need to push it back? Her clients always come first, and she’s had a last-minute appointment added to her schedule for the day. There’s two things in this world that Megan Wood is passionate about. Her son, Elijah, who is 5, and her clients. When she was originally asked to do the interview at 9:30 a.m., Wood said no because that would cut into her dialing time … on a Sunday morning! To say she is laser focused is an understatement. Wood has an addictive personality in anything she does. It dates back to when she was diagnosed with an extreme eating disorder at 13. After losing five or 10 pounds, she would find a new way to lose another pound. It was a vicious cycle. At age 15, Wood’s weight dropped to 60 pounds. Her parents, running out of options to help their daughter, sent her to the Laureate Clinic in Oklahoma, which specializes in eating disorders. Her parents couldn’t afford her three-month stay and had to use their 401(k) accounts to cover the costs. Wood, who says she was told she would die if things continued going the wrong way, was extremely ashamed by putting her parents in that position. “I was determined to be the best eating disorder person in the world,” Wood says. “It was never enough. I was never satisfied.” Most of her life she has switched from one addiction to another. After getting her eating disorder under control, Wood became addicted to pills, partly because she was using oxycontin to offset pain after fighting her eating disorder. She was extremely tired and needed a quick way to get her energy up. Amazingly, she was never arrested. At 17, she started working at an Applebee’s near Darlington, Indiana. She was a really good waitress and bartender. She was also addicted to talking to people and getting them to order one more of anything on the menu. Wood worked at Applebee’s for 13 years. She saved most of the $35,000 she made annually at the restaurant. However, she blew through all of it finding the drugs she was hooked on. Sometimes she spent $200 daily on a single pill. Help came in the form of treatment from a methadone clinic, where she was able to get the help she badly needed. Then, she got pregnant and knew she really had to get clean. Wood was able to buy a house for her and Elijah, which led to her filling out a mortgage protection lead. She wanted to make sure her son would be taken care of in the event something happened to her. A member of The Alliance sold her coverage and a light bulb went off in her head. She believed she could sell insurance too. Working a crazy schedule at a restaurant is tough on anybody, but for a single mother it is even harder. She saw The Alliance as a way to transition out of working crazy hours and having more time for her son. The Alliance became her new addiction. It gave her an outlet to change her bad addictive behavior into something positive. “The Alliance saved my life,” Wood says. “I would much rather have this kind of addiction and put money in my pocket,” Wood started on a part-time basis three years ago, but left Applebee’s in February of 2019 to go “all in” with The Alliance. “It’s what I’m addicted to and I love it,” Wood says. “That is why I am successful.” Wood is direct to Mike and Noelle Lewantowicz, who have watched their superstar agent explode from writing an average of $20,000 monthly to breaking the $90,000 mark in a single month in 2020. They attribute her growth to being focused, relatable to all kinds of people and having a work ethic that is second to none. “She listens very carefully to all of their needs,” Mike Lewantowicz says. “She takes care of the most important need now. And she creates a plan to come back and take care of the next need she has identified. Her work ethic, focus, intensity and relentlessness is off the charts.” Noelle Lewantowicz said Wood is great at focusing, when most people can’t even decide what they want to do daily. “She is focused on two things: she’s a mama and she’s a worker,” Noelle Lewantowicz says. “That’s where she spends her time.” Wood says helping clients makes her happy. She’s able to set her own work schedule now, freeing her up to spend a lot of quality time with her son whenever she wants to. That means trips to places like Disney World, the beach, museums, etc. Whatever her son wants to do, she’s up for it. She admits she has a hard time doing nothing. She doesn’t have a hobby and doesn’t want to pick one up. Offering people life insurance makes her happy. “If I’m not doing it, I just get depressed and wish that I was,” Wood says. “I love it. I have a lot of fun. It’s a challenge. When I help a family it’s like a high. I leave a home thinking, ‘let’s do that again!’” Looking back at her growth during the last three years, Wood says fear is what drove her to succeed. She knew bills were coming and she wanted to provide for her son without being worried all the time. “That pushed me to be successful,” Wood says. “Then, I just became addicted to it.” The results are impressive. She’s won four trips to Thailand in 2021, and she’s on track to earn 700,000 points for the year (Wood had 540,000 at the end of October). She leads the country in personal production, which will earn her the choice of a Rolex in January of 2021, because of winning a production contest. Her short-term goal is to reach Agency Manager, which should happen in December. That means Wood would earn a ring and a Rolex at NatCon. Did we mention she’s got $160,000 in her bank account? Wood just keeps coming up with new goals. “My goal was to stay in the top five and I’ve been at the top for more than half the year,” Wood says. “But it’s the fear that somebody could jump ahead of me that keeps me going and going. I don’t think I’m great, I think I could be better. Knowing that you are not great and knowing you can be better drives me.” What’s in store for 2021? Wood wants to earn 1,000,000 points, grow her team, teach others to do exactly what she is doing and then compete against them. For her, it’s about being humble and hungry at the same time. She wants to do a little bit more every single day. “That’s always up the goal,” Wood says. “It never stops. It’s just never enough.”

Megan Wood: Laser Focused

Andy Albright met with the NC State men's basketball team on Nov. 13 at Reynolds Coliseum to offer his advice on being successful on the court and off of it. His appearance was made at the request of head coach Kevin Keatts, who wanted Andy to inspire his team as they begin the 2020-21 season.

What Do I Want? How Do I Get It?

On this episode of Andy Albright's MOVE pod, we get to know Mark Hutcheson in depth. How did he wind up in life insurance? A bad back and a brother who was an insurance agent with State Farm led Mark Hutcheson to The Alliance. Hutcheson grew up in the northern part of Georgia in a middle-class family with 8 siblings (seven boys and two girls). His father was a Baptist pastor and the family didn’t have a television, which meant long hours playing football, basketball and baseball outside. The family moved to Kansas City his freshman year of high school, but he returned to Greenville, S.C. after high school and attended Bob Jones University. He worked as a landscaper in college and hurt his back, forcing him to have back surgery at age 21. His next job was doing electrical work that required physical labor and led to a second surgery at age 30. Hutcheson, who lives in Greenville, S.C., had already decided he couldn’t make a living doing hard labor. Luckily, he found The Alliance in 2011. He was also working part-time as a basketball referee, but didn’t think he would ever be able to provide for a family on the path he was on. “I was 26 and I was frustrated making a little over $10 dollars an hour as a rookie electrician,” Hutcheson said. “I didn’t see it going anywhere.” One of Hutcheson’s older brothers introduced him to The Alliance after filling out a lead out of curiosity. An agent met with Hutcheson’s brother and he encouraged Mark to look at joining The Alliance. Hutcheson, 35, got his license in the fall of 2011, but struggled early on barely being able to pay his bills. He was living scared and each week had to fight just to make ends meet. “I just wasn't putting in that activity and the work that was required to do this at a high level,” Hutcheson said. “When I realized that it was something I could control and you didn’t have to have this great skill set or this incredible knowledge of all these products things changed. You just have to be willing to go out, work and just do what was being taught.” Things started clicking for Hutcheson in January of 2012. It wasn’t record numbers, but he made $75,000 in his first full year with The Alliance. With increased activity, Hutcheson enjoyed more and more success over time. Each year since 2012, his income has gone up. “It’s nothing earth shattering, there’s no magic formula,” Hutcheson said. “I’m just a small-town country boy from North Georgia that just knew there was something better in life out there than what I was doing as an electrician on a fixed income. I just needed the right opportunity and the right direction, which I think The Alliance excels at better than anybody else in showing you how to break free from the rat race of life and showing you how to control your own financial destiny and future.” Outside of selling insurance, Hutcheson was still refereeing college basketball games. He loved it, but he wanted a family and knew he’d have to hang his whistle up. Hutcheson met his wife, Shannon in 2016 and got married in May of 2017. He called his last basketball game in 2018, after the arrival of a daughter named Georgia (2). He also has a step daughter Adrianna (12). The couple will welcome another child in January of 2021, which Hutcheson has jokingly referred to as a “Corona” baby because Shannon got pregnant during the COVID-19 outbreak in March. Hutcheson has continued to help clients during the pandemic. He’s come a long way from being a broke electrician with a bum back 10 years ago. He’s also thankful to Andy Albright for starting The Alliance in 2002 that offered him a better way to earn income. “Not a day goes by where I don't think of what life was like nine years ago,” Hutcheson said. “Fortunately, we're blessed with the ability to go out and work to provide a great lifestyle. The key is continuing to be grateful for where you came from, and letting that gratitude drive and propel you to make a difference in others’ lives.”   Hutcheson wants new agents or those who are in a slump now to remember the results come from the activity and effort you put into it. There’s no magic to it. It won’t just happen overnight. Hutcheson said you can’t let fear prevent you from taking action. “I had those same concerns and those same natural fears and worries when I first started, but what I've learned along the way is you don't know what you don't know,” Hutcheson said. “I think people expect it to be an overnight success or to see these massive changes in a week or so and it doesn't work like that. It just makes me that much more thankful for the vision and the leadership that we have here at The Alliance. You gotta be willing to work. Bring a teachable attitude and good work ethic to the table." www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright www.NAALeads.com @NationalAgentsAlliance @NAALeadsTheWay #TheAlliance #DoTheDo #N247RU

Pursuing Excellence

On this episode of MOVE, Andy Albright is interviewed by the Triad Business Journal’s John Joyce about the new partnership between The Alliance and Integrity Marketing Group. Listen as Andy reflects on growing up in Burlington, N.C., chasing his dreams to build The Alliance and what he plans to do next! www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright #TheAlliance #DoTheDo #N247RU

Triad Business Journal Interviews Andy Albright

On this episode of MOVE, Andy and Jane Albright share their history from dating in college to creating The Alliance.  We hope you enjoy this content and will share it with somebody else. www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright www.NAALeads.com @NationalAgentsAlliance @NAALeadsTheWay #TheAlliance #DoTheDo #N247RU

What We Did To Become Successful

On this episode of MOVE, Andy Albright explains how he found success and a way to win big in business.  www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright #TheAlliance #DoTheDo #N247RU

All I Wanted Was A Shot To Win Big

On this episode of MOVE, Andy Albright introduces The Alliance to author and motivational speaker Damon West at National Convention 2020 in Burlington, N.C. www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright www.NAALeads.com @NationalAgentsAlliance @NAALeadsTheWay #TheAlliance #DoTheDo #N247RU

Be A Coffee Bean!

The text was so simple, but the meaning behind the two words carried more weight than most would ever imagine. It was a hot day in July of 2015 in Burlington, N.C. during The Alliance’s “Leadership Conference” that is now known as “Family Reunion.” Terry Edwards had finally convinced his wife, Tia to attend a big event after asking her to attend for months. She finally agreed, but she was far from sold on being in the life insurance business. That thinking changed as Tia sat in the women’s seminar on the first day of the event, listening to the women of The Alliance share their inspirational and emotional stories. Tia, holding the couple’s newborn daughter, Taylor in her lap, was moved to tears as she heard Hollie Davies share her personal story. Any prior doubts she had were now gone. Terry was in another meeting space at the men’s seminar when the text showed up on his phone. “We’re home,” the text from Tia read. “It took me being at that event and seeing and hearing these women share their heart and stories to know that we were right where we needed to be, and I knew we were with the right people too,” Tia said. That’s the good news. To fully understand the journey of Terry and Tia Edwards, you have to go back and learn about the struggle to even find The Alliance and wind up as Agency Managers in 2019. The couple met in middle school, started dating in high school in January of 1994 (Terry was a junior and Tia was a freshman), went to Elizabeth City State University together and got married in 2001. The couple always talked about what they wanted their life to be like together even in high school. Nice house, yard full of kids, good jobs and all the “American Dream” stuff most people desire. They both got good jobs, but moved around North Carolina every couple years as Terry continued being promoted in different parts of the state. Eventually, the couple started a cleaning business as their “side hustle.” It was going so well they worked seven days a week and had to order staff to help keep up with the work. In 2009, Terry discovered network marketing and his mind started thinking bigger in terms of what income level is possible. They earned around $2,000 monthly in network marketing, but the way it changed the couple’s thinking was far more important. Full-time jobs, a janitorial business and network marketing … that’s a lot for any young couple. Something was missing, however. They wanted children, but doctor’s couldn’t explain why it wasn’t happening. Thinking it wasn’t going to happen, the Edwardses focused on adoption. Instead of adopting one child, the couple ended up adopting three children – at the same time! Immediately, Isaiah (2), Anaya (3) and Elijah (4) were adopted in 2010 on Father’s Day weekend. “That increased my drive,” Terry said. “I was focused on providing a future and a legacy for my children to follow.” Fast forward to February of 2015 and life was even sweeter. Terry just accepted his dream job as the CEO of a credit union in Atlanta, Ga. Even better, Tia was four months pregnant with Taylor at the same time. The couple packed up and moved from their house in Kernersville, N.C., sold their janitorial business and leased a home in Georgia. They hadn’t even sold their home in N.C. When Terry went to start his new job, the job offer was rescinded. With no job, a growing family to provide for and bills rolling in; Terry didn’t know how he was going to cover the bills with only his network marketing deal bringing money in. “We had double bills and what was coming in was not going to cover everything,” Terry said. “I got on the computer and searched craigslist.” Jason Mathis had posted a simple ad that read, “too many leads, not enough agents.” Edwards spoke to Mathis, got licensed and started running business quickly. Following The Alliance system, he banked $8,000 in the first 30 days. “I didn’t have anything to lose so why wouldn’t I give it a shot?” Terry said. “Tia was still skeptical then, but it was working.” Tia still was skeptical. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was pregnant or what, but she couldn’t understand why Terry was always on his phone … all day long it seemed. “I had never seen a deal where you could make that much money so fast,” Tia said. After being asked repeatedly by Mathis to go see The Alliance corporate headquarters and meet president and CEO Andy Albright, Edwards finally drove to Burlington, N.C. If he was “all in” before, his belief level reached new heights during his visit. Terry watched Brant Swindle shoot a training video, attended The Wednesday Call and met with Andy Albright in his office after the show. That conversation forever changed Terry’s outlook on success. “What captivated me was that Andy was so plain spoken,” Terry recalls. “What he said was just common-sense stuff. I couldn’t believe you could act normal, be hugely successful and make millions like he has done. I had never seen anybody like Andy.” Terry asked Albright why he continued working so hard when he clearly didn’t have to. Why keep doing it? “Andy said, ‘you are right, my grandkids are taken care of. The problem is you can’t say the same thing,’” Terry remembers. “I instantly fell in love with Andy because I was looking for a place where I could belong, where I wasn’t looked upon as a dollar bill, and my dreams and my aspirations were No. 1. We just clicked. Jane Albright met Tia and we started really building a friendship. We found out we had more in common than we do separate.” After starting with The Alliance in April of 2015, the family moved back to their Kernersville, N.C.-house because they hadn’t even had time to sell it, after Terry’s “Dream Job” fell through. Terry and Tia won a Foresters cruise to the Bahamas and a trip to Banff, Canada in their first year with The Alliance. They got to know other agents even better on those trips. Almost five years later, it’s hard to belief how many things have happened to and for Terry and Tia since joining The Alliance. “It amazes me,” Terry says with a laugh. “It hasn’t lost its luster. I never want to get to a place where I think I got it. I know I still have to work on me and there’s another level to reach. There’s more to learn and I can be a better leader, so we can attract better people. We are not content or satisfied with good. We are shooting for great. We are not where we want to be, but we are not where we used to be either.” 2019 was a tremendous year of growth for Terry and Tia. They were able to realize their dream of opening a satellite office in Kernersville, a 1,700-square-foot space with offices for agents and a meeting space for 100 people when they host HotSpot meetings each Tuesday night. Looking to 2020, Terry and Tia have set even bigger goals. They want to reach Vice President before the year ends. They want to attract better leaders and lead from the front. They want to help other people find their 'why,' then show them how to make it happen. “It’s about knowing what it is that you want and then figuring out how to get it,” Terry said. “Being fanatical is about not stopping until you get what you want. Max out your capacity. Once you get one goal accomplished, there’s the next goal. Be better today than you were yesterday; but be better tomorrow than you were today. What do you want? What can you go through to get it? That’s fanatical.” Who knows what would have happened if Tia wasn’t in the audience to hear Hollie Davies speak at the women’s seminar holding Taylor back in 2015. There’s a good chance, life would look different Terry, Tia, Elijah (14), Anaya (13), Isaiah (11) and Taylor (4), but the good news is we will never know. Tia was there, and her commitment level went through the roof. A simple text she lovingly sent to her husband changed their lives forever. It helped change The Alliance for the better too. “We are at home,” Tia says. “This is the right place with the right people. 2020 is about going all in and being a better person than you were yesterday.”  

'We're Home'

On this episode of the MOVE podcast, Coach Kevin Keatts of NC State delivers a keynote address to The Alliance. Listen to a spirited message from North Carolina State men’s head basketball coach Kevin Keatts, who served as keynote speaker during “Family Reunion” at the Alliance Convention Center in July in Burlington, N.C. Keatts warmed up the crowd with a “look and listen” drill that he uses with his basketball players to help them practice listening and taking action at the same time. Keatts asked people to listen to what he said and move their hands up or down based on him saying “up” or “down.” “You have a playbook and follow it because if you do, you will win,” Keatts said. “There’s five guys on the floor and they all have to be on the same page. There are thousands of you. You have to be on the same page.” Keatts stressed the importance of the name on the front of a team’s jersey being far more important than the individual name on the back when it comes to building a winning team. The Wolfpack coach told the crowd that if you are patient, eventually the money you want will come your way. “Somebody in this room is asking, ‘Is this the path I want to take,’ Keatts said. “If you work together, stay together and set goals; you will get there.” Keatts stressed the importance of discussing your plan with your spouse because it is not always about you. It’s about what is best for both of you. In terms of adversity, Keatts shared the story of Kevin Ware, who played at Louisville when Keatts was making $400,000 as an assistant coach under Hall of Famer Rick Pitino. In 2013, after making the Final Four, Louisville had most of its team coming back and we followed our playbook. The Cardinals lost to Duke early that season. Later that season, Louisville gets to the Elite 8 and played Duke. Kevin Ware breaks his leg during the game. As bad as that injury was, Ware told his team to win the game. That’s all he wanted even with a broken leg. The Cardinals won that game and went on to win the NCAA title that season. “How good do you want to be,” Keatts said. “You want to be the best. All people say that, but are they serious? Adversity will strike, what will you do when it happens?”  Keatts said there were simple things you can do to make sure you are successful. He encouraged people to pay attention to small details, overwork, check your ego and make sure you are prepared in all that you do and don’t be afraid to admit you are wrong or that you made a mistake. “Be willing to change your game plan,” Keatts said. “Everything you do can be learned. When you stop learning, it’s time to change your career path. There will be bumps and it will be tough, but you have to look as far as you can. Go as far as you can.” There are similarities at The Alliance to what Keatts does as a head coach. He said one of his best assistants was previously an insurance salesman. “Andy is the best in the insurance business at what he does,” Keatts said. “You will get told no more than yes, but if you let your ego get in the way then you will never be successful. Be the best at who you are, work your butt off, talk to everybody around that person and don’t take no for an answer. You don’t have to be mean, but keep working to get a yes.” The NC State coach stressed looking for winners and recruiting people that fit the culture of The Alliance. “Keep improving … all the time,” Keatts said. “Don’t take it for granted. Coaching and insurance line up. Both are great opportunities. I’m excited for you guys. (The Alliance) is impressive. I’m proud of you because I know the road for everybody hasn’t been easy.” After his keynote, Keatts opened things up for a Q&A with the audience and was very candid and honest in his answers. A native of Lynchburg, Va., he guided the Seahawks to CAA regular season titles all three years in Wilmington and was named CAA Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2016. Keatts and his wife Georgette, have two sons, K.J. and Kaden. Keatts, who is entering his third season as the Wolfpack’s head coach, is known for his huge personality and colorful storytelling. In his first season in Raleigh, N.C., Keatts won 21 games, tying legendary coach Everett Case (21-4 in 1946-47) for the most regular season wins by a first-year head coach in the program’s history. This past season, Keatts’ team posted a 24-12 record and played in the NIT Tournament after making the NCAA Tournament in his first season with NC State. www.AndyAlbright.com @AndySAlbright #TheAlliance #DoTheDo #N247RU #Wolfpack #NCState www.NAALeads.com @NationalAgentsAlliance @NAALeadsTheWay

Kevin Keatts Talks About Being Prepared, Embracing The Process And Doing Your Best Consistently

Do you dream of getting more out of life each day? Do you desire to take the next step in your career, but it just doesn’t seem to be working out like you planned? Do you wish you were more confident in all that you do? Are you tired of having to make up excuses for why you aren’t where you want to be? Welcome to MOVE: Principles For Getting The Best Results, a podcast designed to help you succeed in your professional and personal life. Andy Albright has spent more than 25 years learning principles of some of the most successful and influential people in the world. With each episode, Andy will help you break through barriers, sail over obstacles and build momentum to guide you toward a better life. Maybe you want to learn how to handle stress or time management more efficiently, or just stop engaging in the blame game. If that sounds good to you, then MOVE is perfect for you. Lock in and listen as Andy shares practical and simple principles that all successful people follow and swear by. Every single day ordinary people do extraordinary things because they are willing to do what others are not. That is the secret to being successful. If you are willing to work and not give up, you will eventually get exactly what you want in life. Sit back and enjoy Andy Albright’s MOVE and be sure to leave comments to tell us what you like most.

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Andy Albright's MOVE: Principles For Getting The Best Result...

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