A little girl changed me

My favourite content is, and always will be, stories that move me and make me feel something. Whether this is happiness, sadness or anger, I don’t actually mind, I just want it to spark an emotional reaction in that moment. In a world of distractions, great content makes you focus in, and makes you think.

I can honestly say our shoot with Caitlin Conroy and her mother Carla was a massive success when judged by this criteria. It appears in episode four of our TV show, and from the moment you hear little Caitlin tell celebrity investor Blair McDonough about her battle with leukemia (she’s only eight years old and Blair visibly aches when he hears her story), and listen to her mother’s journey to be by her daughter’s side, you are hooked.

It’s a story of bravery from an everyday family. One of dignity, hope, despair and courage, all wrapped around the experience AIA insurance provided when the most unimaginable thing happened.

AIA Australia chief retail insurance officer Pina Sciarrone takes Blair to meet Caitlin, and manages to be both compassionate and professional in the ensuing conversation. It certainly made me understand the responsibility people like Pina carry, for insurance is only called upon when the worst happens. I don’t know why this did not occur to me before, but by making stories like Caitlin’s and others, through my production company evolution media group, I have seen the state of mind clients must come to AIA in.

They have been injured, or diagnosed, or have lost someone. They’re in the midst of an incredibly hard time that most expect will never happen to them. Except they do. And making these stories reminds me more than ever, that these tragedies can and do happen to ordinary people like you and me. They didn’t expect it, and didn’t prepare for it. But it happened anyway.

When you see how these people talk about AIA, and the experience they had with the company during one of the hardest times of their lives, it’s then that you realise that this business is one of the most valuable services provided to Australians. These stories illustrate just how critical insurance is, and how important it is to bring a caring and compassionate attitude to people who desperately need it.

While money is not the only thing that matters in life, for many claimants, it can be part of a solution and lift an enormous burden off their shoulders. This episode of the show, and Blair’s realisations really hit home about the perils of ignoring insurance.

A massive thank you to Pina Sciarrone and Damien Mu at AIA Australia for believing that this type of entertainment and emotion-led education is needed. Both the time and resources you have invested will help people to understand how important insurance could be to them, in a country that is critically underinsured.

Thank you for all of you who have sent me feedback on the show. I very much appreciate you taking the time to tell me you believe in what we are doing. I also look forward to sharing with you the next chapter of how we are bringing you closer to as many Australians as possible to help them make the pension irrelevant.

Caitlin is a tear-jerker, so brace yourselves. If you would also like tools and information to share with your clients about the value of life insurance, you can find more stories we have told with AIA here.

Until next time,

 

Click here to see Caitlin in  episode 4 of Learn from the Money Masters.

Her full story can be viewed here.

AIA also helped Adam, whose story can be seen here. 

The opinions expressed in this content are those of the author shown, and do not necessarily represent those of No More Practice Education Pty Ltd or its related entities. All content is intended for a professional financial adviser audience only and does not constitute financial advice. To view our full terms and conditions, click here.

The opinions, advice, or views expressed in this content are those of the author or the presenter alone and do not represent the opinions, advice or views of No More Practice Education Pty Ltd. Our contents are prepared by our own staff and third parties who are responsible for their own contents. Any advice in this content is general advice only without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. You should consider any general advice considering these matters and relevant product disclosure statements. You should also obtain your own independent advice before making financial decisions. Please also refer to our FSG available here: http://www.nmpeducation.com.au/financial-services-guide/.

What next for life insurance and super?

This week’s Royal Commission hearings have brought life insurance into the spotlight, just as ASIC has completed its review of insurance in super – given that 70% of all policies are held through super funds, how will this affect your clients?

Finally, the unpopular is cool

In only a few short weeks, celeb investor Blair McDonough has gone from financial novice to informed investor thanks to help from his adviser and some top investment managers. In our final episode, Blair meets contrarian investor Graeme Forster of Orbis Investments who shows him there’s another way to approach investing over the long term.

Learn from the Money Masters airs Saturdays 12:30pm on Channel Nine until November 18.

A beginner’s lesson to us

It’s been fascinating to see Blair go from absolute investment beginner to someone who could ask and articulate well-thought-out questions on specific asset classes and strategies. For Vanessa Stoykov this highlighted the importance of making technical strategies approachable to engage the end consumer.