Barjes Angulo, LUTCF, RICP Against All Odds

By Ayo Mseka

Barjes Angulo, LUTCF, RICP, is living proof of what happens when you are committed to your dreams and will stop at nothing to make them happen. Although he was raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet on less than $24,000 a year, Angulo did all he could to keep his dreams alive and did not allow any setback to derail them.

That tenacity and drive to succeed have paid off. Today, at 39, he is a Wealth Advisor at Angulo Strategies and a career life insurance agent with New York Life Insurance. He has been an MDRT qualifier nine times, has received a NAIFA Quality Award three times and has earned more than 25 awards from New York Life. From someone who once had to borrow money from his parents to take the subway to his office, Barjes Angulo has come a long way indeed.

Angulo, the son of Ecuadorian immigrants, was motivated to pursue a career in financial services when, as a young bank teller, he was assigned the task of referring walk-in customers to bankers in retail sales. “Within the first few months, I saw the value of financial services professionals for individuals who need guidance in this area,” he says. “I figured, I am trained in sales, I am studying finance in college, and I like to help people. This describes what an advisor does. It motivated me to pursue the career.”

Angulo Strategies focuses on integrating four key financialplanning disciplines: retirement income planning, income protection (life insurance, DI insurance and long-term-care insurance), investment planning and estate planning. Angulo works with three employees, one of whom, Katherine Fernandez, he plans to marry on September 16.

The firm services about 600 households and meets with 200 of them two to three times a year. “We service professionals, specifically in advertising and marketing, and about a dozen small-business owners,” he says. “I like to say we work with middle-class millionaires. They are extremely intelligent and creative and realize the value of working with a trusted financial professional.”

Overcoming obstacles

Angulo’s journey to success has not been without some setbacks. He dreamed of being the first person in his family to attend college, and while he was in high school, he planned on attending Pace University to study finance. But right after graduation, his plans were almost put on the back burner when he found out that he was going to be a father.

This did not deter him, however. After taking a year off, he was more committed than ever to earn his degree — he simply revised the plan of how he was going to do it. It took him 10 years of balancing full-time work and part-time work with raising his son, Xavier, but Angulo received his degree in 2007 and proudly walked across the stage, with Xavier applauding and cheering him on.

Also, his early years in the business did not exactly point to a rosy financial future. “I remember starting my career in January of 2001 and not seeing a penny in commissions until April of that year. And my first check was for barely $100,” he says. And once, after driving two hours each way to meet with a client who did not have the resources for him to help her, he received two tickets — one for accidentally running a red light and the other for parking illegally. “The meeting cost me five hours and about $300 in ticket fines — but no new client,” he says.

But he continued doing everything he could to keep his dreams alive largely because of the commitment he had made to his clients on his first day in business: “Be there for them and see the plans they have created together come to life.”

Tips for success

When asked for some of the reasons for his success, Angulo’s response is quick and to the point: “A mentor once told me that clients will tell you what they want — you just have to listen. So, I do.”

Also, he and the rest of the staff at Angulo Strategies try to stay flexible when planning client meetings. “I run meetings in my office to maximize my time,” he says. And the fact that his office is in a central location helps him stay focused on seeing about four to five people each day. In addition, he adheres to a piece of business advice he received many years ago: “People want to buy. They do not want to be sold.”

“Success will come your way also if you keep in mind that our business is changing; so, do your best to stay relevant,” he adds.

“And realize that the experience you have with your clients is the game changer in differentiating yourself from your competitors.”

For agents who are just starting out, Angulo’s advice is simple: Stay the course. “You need to be around to sow the seed you planted; so, giving up after one or two years in the business doesn’t make sense. I like to say that our business is like a whole life policy — no cash value in the early years, little dividend in Years Three to Five, but after that, the cash value is there with a consistent dividend.”

NAIFA membership has also helped move Angulo’s career forward. Apart from the opportunities for networking and sharing best practices that this membership provides, he learns a lot from Advisor Today. “The nuggets and sales ideas I have learned from reading Advisor Today have given me a lot of help in designing solutions for my clients,” he says.

Like most people who have achieved some level of success, Angulo is a great believer in giving back. He was active with Junior Achievement for a few years and is currently the Group Support Leader for the New York Chapter of the National Eczema Association. His plan is to do more volunteer work in a few years, after he earns a few more industry credentials.

But for right now, he is busy taking care of his clients. “I truly enjoy the flexibility and ability to service our clients in various ways,” he says. “I like the fact that we are creating a positive impact on their lives by providing them with products like life insurance and showing them how to create a guaranteed income for the rest of their lives.”