Featured New York Life Insurance Agent: Sonia Montana - Embracing Change

Agent Sonia Montana, South Florida Office, is no stranger to change, in fact, she embraces it. When a climate of terror forced her, along with her husband, Mauricio Mutis, and three children, to flee her native Colombia back in 1999, she had to adjust to a new culture and career. “At that time, in my country, it was very dangerous. There were kidnappings…murders, it was very scary,” says Montana. “We moved to the United States to give our children all the choices in life - and the choices are here.”

A trained biologist, Montana worked in Colombia’s petroleum industry for almost ten years before resigning to raise her growing family. Once in the States, she reentered the work force selling real estate - a lucrative business at the time. “I primarily worked in relocation, and I only took on three or four buyers a month - that was enough. More would have been too tough,” explains Montana.

“It was great while it lasted, but in the end, the market was going crazy - way too crazy. The last house I sold was on the market for only three hours and sold for $70,000 more than the listing price. You could feel the change coming - it was time to get out.”

Montana continues, “Coming to New York Life as an agent seemed to be a natural choice after being in real estate. Similarly, it’s your own business — so not only do you have to find clients, but you have to work hard to keep them as well.”

In April of 2005, however, less than one month after she signed her contract with the Company, Montana’s life changed forever: her beloved husband suffered a massive heart attack and passed away. Not only did she have to contend with a tragic loss, but Montana was faced with the challenge of raising three children alone and on one income.

“We were planning to purchase life insurance and were just waiting until I was activated. My husband, Mauricio, was a great believer in insurance — we just weren’t thinking about it at the time. You don’t expect something like this to happen to you.”

Says Montana, ‘Mauricio was a great man, and although it hurts me, life keeps going on. The other day, I attended a seminar in Orlando, and a woman spoke. She had lost her husband unexpectedly in an accident. Luckily, she and her husband had the foresight to purchase life insurance.”

“Having the additional money at a time like that cannot stop the pain of loss, but it can afford you time: time to think and heal and enjoy your children instead of wondering, ‘How am I going to survive without him?’”

So, once again, Montana adapted to the changes in her life and forged ahead. “After Mauricio died, my family wanted me to go back to Colombia, but I stayed put,” continues Montana. “This was our dream - mine and my husband’s - and he would have wanted me to stay. So I kept on moving, and was back at work less than a week after the services.”

“I work with many people in the Latino community, and they tend to be superstitious about buying life insurance, but they have to face reality. Once they face it, they see the need. My own story is a prime example of what can happen if you don’t have insurance.”

Says Montana, “It’s painful to tell, but I’m hoping that it may make a difference in people’s lives and ensure that what happened to me doesn’t happen to others. I believe that life is a mirror: whatever you do with your life, you’ll get back.”

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