WHEN Nicholene Taylor began her career at Sagicor, one of her biggest goals was to make an impact, no matter how small. Fast-forward to over a decade later, Taylor has once again secured the prestigious Agent of the Year award for 2023 at the recent staging of the Sagicor Corporate Awards. Having put in the work to be where she is today, the committed financial advisor hopes that through her story she can encourage others to think limitlessly in pursuit of their goals.

Growing up, Taylor was no stranger to hard work and recalled how her father Eric Lloyd Taylor instilled values in her that she carries with her to date.

“My father stressed the fact that my sister and I could achieve anything we want but we must be educated. He would even come home and check my homework every single day. He wanted us to develop a good work ethic and always strive to do well in school. He also wanted to ensure that we grew up to be independent and provide for ourselves. He is one of the reasons why I understand and value hard work.”

Describing her tenure at Sagicor as amazing, Taylor has had the opportunity to be a part of multiple organisations and has earned multiple awards including the Agent of the Year award which she has won consistently for the past four years since the Sagicor Group decided to do group awards, but has been the top agent at the Half-Way-Tree branch for the past 10 years.

“Many people will ask me what’s the secret to success but for me, there is no secret; it’s just hard work. I wake up early every morning with a goal for each day and I am willing to go the extra mile for all my clients, even if it means meeting with them at 6:30 am. My job is tough but it’s very rewarding because it’s all about making their dreams become a reality and once their dreams come true, so does mine. If you want an extraordinary result, you have to be willing to put out an extraordinary effort,” passionately expressed the seasoned financial professional.

Despite having what she has described as a wonderful career as a financial advisor, Taylor detailed how it has not always been an easy journey.

“I remember one particular incident in 2019 where I had a goal of ending the year breaking the 40-million barrier for the annual premium income (API). I was at 28 million when the November books closed. I decided to see a client in New Kingston and as I was leaving the office, I ended up in a car accident. I was not hurt but the front of my car was totalled. I could not help but feel why something like this had to happen to me at this time, especially when I had this big goal and I needed my car to help bring this goal to life.”

Highlighting the importance of resilience, Taylor continued, “The next morning I woke up, I decided to stop throwing a pity party for myself and look at the incident with a positive attitude. I realised I was not hurt, I was alive, and I would need money to fix the car anyway so why not go harder? I decided to set a goal to complete one million API a day. It felt impossible but I was able to achieve 11.2 million to close out December and break the 40-million barrier. I ended up winning the Pansy Ennevor Trophy for the female with the most API and the first-year commission trophy for the person with the most first-year commission at the end of the year. To this day, it’s the best month I ever had.”

With Sagicor’s mission statement geared towards aiding in improving life for all persons, Taylor detailed how her role as a financial advisor has allowed her to make a direct impact through her clientele.

“I get the unique opportunity to be there for people. Clients never forget this. It’s about being there for them at each stage of the journey, when things are hard, when they are ill, no matter the circumstance, it’s more than just having my clients sign up for a policy. The essence of being a good agent is doing what’s best for them and having a genuine love for them. It has nothing to do with me; it’s all about them.”

As a self-proclaimed workaholic, Taylor has recently learned how to strike a balance.

“You have to make time to develop all the areas of your life. I was going on a track at one point where I almost ascribed my worth to the work I did but you have to be a balanced person, it’s not all about the money because if you are not a healthy person then it does not matter. You have to continue to make the time for the things that matter most to you,” she expressed.

To anyone who wants to make impactful strides in their career, Taylor encourages them to believe in themselves.

“There is room for everyone to thrive. Once you are willing to put in the work and go the extra mile, you will see the results of your hard work. I would also say it’s important to do your best to remain consistent especially when you face adversity, because it will come. Nobody is bigger or better than anyone else, you just have to have the courage to go for it.”