We recently connected with Darius Butler and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Darius thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?
Out of all the things I have learned while working for others, the most eye-opening to me has to be “a job will pay you enough to kill your dreams”. When I heard this line, I thought about the many jobs I had worked where I built systems and processes for individuals, continuously broke sales records, and essentially was able to build myself out of roles by having the majority of the business run on auto-pilot. All while chasing my dreams of owning my own business but as I climbed up the ladder, it seemed as if I was never truly led and shown how to “own” my own…
Even now as I grow, I have continued to remind myself that if someone is willing to pay you to do something, why not learn how to get paid yourself doing it? Now I do not say this to say that having a job period is bad because if you are making enough to answer all your dreams then that is great. The flip side to that is that as long as you work for someone, you will be subject to someone else’s rules. When I made the real decision to chase my own, I had 3 things that lined up for me. 1.) God had provided all the signs I needed, and I never felt confused because I understood he does not work out of confusion. 2.) After looking back on my career and looking at all my accomplishments for others, I truly believe that if given all of my time to focus on my own, no way I would let myself fail. 3.) I had a huge team of support from friends, family, and fellow business owners who wouldn’t let me fail either! The only question I had for myself was when will you take the step?
Now life as an entrepreneur still requires just as much work if not more honestly but the feeling of truly being able to control the needle in terms of how far you build it. Doing what you love doesn’t feel like work, not because you get to work less but because you love what you are doing and who you are doing it for so much that it just doesn’t feel like work! In life, you get to choose your struggle. You cannot do anything more than what you do at your job and struggle, or you can put in the extra work needed to be a different person. Either way, there will be a struggle, but one side may lead to the answer to all your prayers and the other will leave you with the continued struggle.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got into the Financial industry by being prospected on LinkedIn. What piqued my interest was how people were being helped. The focus was shifted from “let’s sell” to “let’s teach”. With facts like 67% of Americans will never make a financial plan, 40% of divorces are related to financial problems, and 68% of Americans say they are NOT on track to retire. I understood the value of what Global Financial Impact is doing.
Leading with Financial education to help families dream again and create generational wealth with the same strategies that have helped the wealthy for over 100 years. I sit down with a family free of charge and find out their goals and dreams, then show them how this can be achieved realistically in the right financial vehicle. The average person has a very surface-level knowledge of anything outside of the norm as 401k, CDs, and IRAs, and while that is a great start even fewer individuals know the inner workings of said financial vehicles and how they work down the line.
Even though I work in sales there is so much value in what I can do for a family that the products pretty much sell themselves, in my early stages I learned it had more to do with me not talking clients out of the decision. When explained properly, the value is undeniable so much so that people are almost in disbelief. I love showing a family that the same money they put towards their 401k can just be moved into the right financial vehicle and take off in terms of cash accumulation. It’s just a matter of knowing where to invest your money. Traditional plans because they work in the variable market make retirement a moving target you are gambling on. In the indexed market, I can give the client the exact year they can retire so they are just counting down the time until then. It’s all just a matter of knowing your options and trusting yourself to make the right decision for not only yourself but the generations to follow!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
While I have been on my journey, I have had to maintain being not scared of the forward investment needed to make my dreams come true. I am no stranger to this because I worked full-time in leadership roles while completing a full-time degree, even working construction during summers to help pay my way through college. On my journey to being an entrepreneur, I have had to work as a Director of Operations running multiple units with Chick-fil-A, being a parent of 2 young kids, not neglecting my wife, and still finding time to help build up a foundation as a board member.
I have always had more than enough excuses to not chase after my dreams but my mentality has always been that I can continue to build my capacity and consistently figure out how to accomplish more in less time than everyone else because I have always had the burning desire to go further, go longer, and just continue to develop myself and always be hungry to learn more and do more. I want to be the difference maker in my family. I want to be the one in a generation that etch my family name in stone and set the tone for those coming behind me, starting with my kids! That is what keeps me resilient through all the ups and downs.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
My reputation was built on my decision to always do my best at everything I attempt. The level of pride I bring to any role I fill has always left a great impression on people I have come across. I believe in executing everything I put my hands on to a very high degree! These are things that can be taught but the decisions that are made in the dark that most don’t see.
Doing business the right way is a big factor, people want to know they can trust you, and they want to know if they pick up the phone and call you, you will answer. I have seen individuals who will put people in products they can barely afford and not care about what happens if a life event occurs. When working with a client I consistently remind my clients that they are in the driver’s seat. I am but a tool in their arsenal to show them how to maximize how their money grows. I have had to tell clients that I do not think it smart for them to take certain obligations on because they need to have at least a 3-6 month emergency fund because that is how to start good money habits and my goal is always to help clients at the appropriate time. I never sit with a family thinking about the “sale”. I think about how I can bring value in the right season of their life and this has translated into a trust that I share with my clients and they are happy to recommend me because they know I will do right by each client.
