The Entrepreneurial Spark

Daniel & Sandra Pirillo
Toronto, Ontario
Former Occupation: Student
Former Income: $12,000
Primerica Income: $349,863*

The Entrepreneurial Spark
Almost every kid growing up is exposed to some sort of entrepreneurial activity. Whether it’s fundraising sales for school or car washes or even a lemonade stand, experiences like these allow children to see the value of working hard for yourself. For Daniel and Sandra Pirillo, of Toronto, Ontario, those early lessons paved the way – and lit the spark – for their career as Primerica entrepreneurs.

“I grew up in a typical middle-class family,” says Daniel. “My dad worked as a hairdresser and my mom worked as a travel agent. They instilled in me the value of hard work – and of being responsible for my own financial future – from an early age. I always had to work for my income so I started working odd jobs at age 14, anything to earn an extra quarter. My parents taught me the importance of working hard and saving my money – the same principles Primerica teaches. They also taught me that being an entrepreneur was the only way I was going to get what I wanted out of life so when I got older, I started looking for a business opportunity.”

Sandra had a similar upbringing. “I was always doing something to make money when I was younger. We had yard sales, lemonade stands, things like that. My parents encouraged my siblings and I to pursue our interests, and one of mine was being in business for myself.”

Principles In Practice
When Daniel was 20 years old, he discovered the Primerica Opportunity – a moment that fired him up like never before. “My car was broken down when I first joined Primerica and I didn’t have any dress clothes,” recalls Daniel. “But I was going to make this business work for me so I’d take the bus to trainings and appointments and shop the thrift stores and sales for professional looking clothes. I remember once I went to the mall and found a package with a dress shirt, a tie, a tie clip and a handkerchief for five dollars. I was so excited about that!”

He continues, “Sandra and I were dating at the time and we put a five-year game plan in place for where we wanted to be. Primerica teaches you to develop healthy money habits – and a big part of that is living below your means and saving for the future. I was 23 years old when I reached $100,000 in income – a lot of which I put away into savings. Two years later, after Sandra and I got married, we had reached a quarter of a million dollars in income and had bought our first home.”

Worth Everything
Having a growing Primerica income – and a solid habit of living below their means and saving money for the future – has given the Pirillos options in life that they say they never would have had if they worked for someone else. “Our business has given us the freedom and the means to do what we want to without worrying about money,” explains Sandra. “I love that I get to be a stay-at-home mom to our three kids instead of having to miss out on time with them to bring in a second income like many families do.”

She continues “Daniel and I also have a great relationship because we don’t fight about money like many couples do. We don’t need to, because we don’t make decisions based on finances. We choose to do what we want to – like renovating our home and backyard, throwing big celebrations for our kids’ birthdays and even helping our parents out financially – because we’ve followed the principles Primerica teaches.”

Daniel agrees, “What really motivates me is seeing my wife and my kids happy. When they get to do what they want, that motivates me. When I call Sandra at 2:00 in the afternoon and she’s just gotten up from a nap, that motivates me to build our business even bigger. We have freedom through Primerica and that’s worth everything to me.”

*Primerica income figures are based upon rolling 12‑month gross cash flow (including advances) as of November 2012. The cash flows stated are not intended to demonstrate the earnings of typical RVPs/representatives. Rather, the cash flows that have been cited reflect the potential that comes with building your business, and there is no guarantee that you will achieve any specific cash flow level. Most RVPs/representatives do not achieve the levels illustrated. In the 12‑month period ending in December 2011, Primerica paid a total of $504,514,944 in compensation to the sales force at an average of $5,544 per licensed representative. Average RVP earnings are typically higher. Actual gross cash flow is, among other factors, dependent upon the size and scale of a representative’s organization, the number of sales and the override spread on each sale, and the ability and efforts of you and your downlines. Having said this, Primerica provides a tremendous opportunity for individuals who work hard and who desire to develop a business with strong income potential.

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