Mike Larson: Uncommon Vision

Regional Leader Mike Larson
Winston-Salem, NC
Joined Primerica in 2003

“Quitting” is not a word in Regional Leader Mike Larson’s vocabulary. In fact, creating a successful Primerica business is just one of the many challenges Mike has risen to. He runs marathons, in particular, “Ultimate Runner” marathons, which include five running events. He practices CrossFit – an elite training regime used by military special ops, martial artists and professional athletes. And, he is blind.

“I am fortunate that some people have seen me as an inspiration for not quitting,” Mike says simply. “It’s not in my DNA to stop doing something.”

Not quitting is something Mike does very well. Because of a hereditary condition known as retinitis pigmentosa, Mike began to lose his eyesight at age six. By the time he was 25 he had to surrender his driver’s license. At age 48 he is legally blind. There is no cure for his condition. To run marathons, Mike straps himself to a friend with a bungee cord.

Mike describes his vision: “Imagine you have a color TV and the vision is distorted. You lose all detail. I have software that magnifies a screen up to 32 times. I use a magnification of 14 times. So when I look at a website I see 1/14 of the screen per page. So do I surf the internet all the time? No I do not. But you don’t have to have great eyesight to do this business. You just need a vision of where you want to go. If people can get past my eyesight they see the usefulness of what we offer.”

When it comes to processing paperwork for his business, Mike uses special software that magnifies an application 16 times. “My eyesight doesn’t improve with time. I just found ways to get around it,” he explains. “You don’t need great eyesight to say ‘hi’ to somebody.”

Thanks to his Primerica business, Mike has paid off his house and three cars and lives debt-free. He is also paying cash for his daughter’s college education. His wife, Marie, a schoolteacher, is also a licensed Primerica rep.

“I love what this company is about,” Mike enthuses. “I love waking up with purpose.”

*The success level depicted herein reflects the potential that comes with building a Primerica business, but there is no guarantee that you will achieve any specific success level or cash flow level.

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