The Hardest Thing Taylor Overcame To Find Success

Hey guys, Katey here. Insurance Soup's resident content creator. I wanted to drop a quick note in here to just say how easy it has been working with Taylor and Mike when it comes to creating meaningful, heartfelt, and inspiring content for Insurance Soup and its members and what you're about to read is exactly all of those things.

In 2019 Taylor bared his soul for you all when he posted the following in the group. Mike does the same regularly. I've not been in the presence of such openness from business owners, especially when it solely comes from their desire to help others succeed. 

Below you'll read Taylor's reflections on one of the hardest struggles of his life and his advice on helping yourself through the same turmoil. Hoping this strikes a cord with anyone who reads it.

"Lets talk about anxiety.

For me, this goes back to my childhood. Most do not know but I started school when I was 3 years old because I had a severe speech impediment. Besides my own mother, no one could understand me.

I spent 7 years twice a day on speech therapy.

Growing up, I got made fun of and mocked which caused me to have anxiety anytime I had to speak or read in front of people. On days when I knew I would have to read in front of the class, I wanted to skip school all together or crawl into a hole. I hated it.

I remember the first speech I had to give Sophomore year in high school. I felt physically sick. The closer I got to it being my turn I started sweating and shaking. I felt like I was going to be judged and that my friends would make fun of me. When the teacher called my name to go up to the podium, I froze. I didn't want to move.

That 3 minutes felt like 3 hours.

Fast forward to my senior year. The struggle was still there but my confidence had grown. My english papers would look like the teachers pen literally exploded due to all the spelling and grammar mistakes. The only thing I ever seemed to get right was my name at the top of the paper that guaranteed me a 15. After that, it was a crap shoot.

My senior English teacher looked me straight in the eyes one day in front of the entire class and told me that I wouldn't ever be successful because I couldn't follow directions or apply myself. That lit a fire deep down that still motivates me to this day.

There are a lot of things you can do to cure anxiety but only one thing has ever seemed to work for me.

It's not medication.

It's not talking about it.

It's not listening to a "magic" podcast.

Its taking action against it.

ACTION CURES ANXIETY

When I got into sales and had to cold call, I would sit there and get nervous until I made that first call.

​When I would go meet a large commercial prospect, I would get nervous until I sat down in front of them.

It's no different than when we first started dating. You would see that girl/guy you wanted to go talk to, but you'd just sit there and try to play out how it would go because you didn't want to look like an idiot. And most the time, you probably talked yourself out of going over there at all.

Sales is the same exact thing. Except there's a payday at the end of each date.

When you start to feel that anxiety creep in, take action right away. Pick up the phone.
Walk into that meeting. Go talk to that mega lender or real estate agent.
​
I can assure you the only thing that cures that anxiety you are feeling is the action you take against it."