Featured New York Life Insurance Agent: Guillermo Rodriguez

• Long Island General Office.
• Served eight years in U.S. Army as combat engineer.
• Joined New York Life in 2002.

Helping families plan their financial futures is a far cry from removing land mines in Bosnia.

New York Life agent Guillermo Rodriguez, Long Island General Office, is a trailblazer - literally.

Prior to joining the Company, Rodriquez served as a combat engineer in the U.S. Army, where blazing trails was part of his job. Enlisting straight out of high school and serving for four years, Rodriguez completed one tour in Bosnia in 1996, removing land mines so friendly forces could advance into enemy territory. He then joined the reserves for another four years.

“The first thing I wanted to do when I left the Army in 1999 was to finish college. I had already earned an associate’s degree while serving, so I used the G.I. Bill to help pay for a business degree,” he says.

Like most graduates, finding a job became his priority once he finished school. Rodriguez’s younger brother, a New York Life agent, suggested he interview with the Company. Rodriguez appreciated the offer but declined. “After all, who wants to follow in their little brother’s footsteps?” he jokes.

But the months following the September 11 terrorist attacks were difficult and the job market was tough. He interviewed with other companies, but nothing really clicked for him. At his brother’s urging, Rodriguez shadowed him on a sales call. He was impressed by what he saw and agreed to visit the Long Island GO.

The collegial atmosphere of the office sold him. “It was at that moment I knew this was what I wanted to do,” he recalls. He joined the Company in October 2002, and hasn’t regretted a day since.

Becoming an agent was a good fit for Rodriguez. After being a part of a larger unit in the Army for so long, he desired independence, and that attracted him to being a New York Life agent.

“I love being my own boss,” he says. “If I do well, it’s because I did well. If I do poorly, it’s because I did poorly. I have control of my time, what I do every day, and who I work with.”

Rodriguez credits his time as a soldier for instilling the principles of discipline, loyalty and honesty that are so essential to being an agent. “When you’re in the military, your experiences really help you put things into perspective. You learn to shake things off and move on.”

And, the Company complemented his skills with the resources he needed to start a successful new career. “New York Life offered me all the training and support I needed to become an agent,” he says.

“Additionally, the Company provides ongoing support, as well as offers my clients the right products and solutions. I am proud that we are out there in communities, doing the right things. I love what I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

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