Unscripted With Willie Smith
Unscripted By Keith Edmonds
FWIS Contributing Writer
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose.” -Romans 8:28
The scripture reference (above) accurately describes my guest in today's UNSCRIPTED. Willie Smith is a young man that has a “servants’ heart” and wants to help as many people as he can as a financial advisor for Thrivent Financial where he has worked for 7 years. Willie is passionate about helping people (specifically those nearing retirement) establish a baseline of financial security that will allow them to transition towards a level of freedom long after their working days are over. I had the opportunity to spend some time with him recently, and he shared his thoughts about how he came to Thrivent, and what he aspires to do for those that seek his knowledge and input.
INK SPOT: Good morning sir and welcome to Unscripted!
WS: “Thank you for having me today, it’s my pleasure!”
INK SPOT: “Can you share with us a little bit about your background as we jump right into this story?”
WS: “I am a Fort Wayne native and graduate of Northside High School where I played football and became proficient in the sport. So much so, that I started to attract a lot of attention from some of the nation’s best college programs. One of my main goals was to graduate from college and play NFL football, but 1/3 of the way through my senior year of high school, I sustained a very tough leg injury that forced me to sit out the remainder of the season. The colleges that were recruiting me began to move away from pursuing me with Indiana University being the only school that still had an interest. I went there and played (against the advice of my doctors) 1 season and then returned home as my injuries called for more surgery.”
INK SPOT: “So, tell us what led to you starting the “thought process” which ultimately led to you coming to Thrivent Financial and becoming a financial planner.”
WS: “It’s interesting because growing up, I had no idea what a financial planner or financial planning was and still had just remedial knowledge of what this world was like as I was getting licensed. I was sitting at my desk one day at the Rescue Mission (former employer) and though I knew that I was doing God’s work being there daily helping people, I had this yearning to do more. My head was telling me one thing, but my heart was telling me there was more that I could/should be doing. God impressed upon me one day this thought: “Willie, I want you to make “Kingdom Impact” in the NFL” and it couldn’t have been any clearer. I knew that one of the best ways that I could do that was to become an agent. I have a friend whose father (Eugene Parker) was an agent that I respected and admired, so I reached out to him for guidance, and he pointed me towards the right way to become an impactful person in the NFL and do the work that God had called me to do. So I entered Indiana State University sports management and recreation program to secure my Master’s and passed my agents licensing exam which got me moving in the right direction. It was during this time that I met a lady named Deb Beck from Thrivent Financial through my mentor Donovan Coley of the Rescue Mission, and she passionately pursued me to become a part of this great organization. I avoided her for a while, but I eventually came onboard agreeing to work with them as God impressed how their influence would be good for his overall plan in my life.”
INK SPOT: “So, share with us, how the “Mission Statement” of Thrivent Financial separates them from say Merrill Lynch, Robert James, New York Life and other financial companies?”
WS: “At Thrivent, we want to build people’s financial clarity. We want people to feel comfortable as they journey through different seasons of life, especially into retirement. At some point, hopefully we all will have the opportunity to retire, and the last thing that we’d want is for people or families to not be ready to retire to the life they want to live. Not that other companies don’t want that very same security, but I feel that Thrivent does it better following Christian principles.”
INK SPOT: “Do you look at Thrivent as a career, or just a stepping stone towards what you ultimately want to do?”
WS: “What I like about this company is that it is Christian based. I get the satisfaction of knowing that I’m helping believers (and non-believers) find their way through a very tenuous time in their life when it comes to retirement. I enjoy having the freedom to express my faith without fear of any retribution. I would say that if I had a career for the rest of my life that would be fine, but I also know that God has big plans for me and if I were to become an independent entity then he would help me securely transition.”
INK SPOT: “As we bring this to a close, please finish this statement for me. In the next 5-7 years Willie Smith’s impact through Thrivent will be”…
WS: “I would want someone to say: “Willie has truly been a blessing to myself and my family. He really put my family's needs above his own, and it helped me keep more of my money that would have gone to taxes. He saw a need and met it, which myself and my family deeply appreciate.”