Richard Yau & Jennifer Zhao
Toronto, ON
Former Occupation: New Immigrant

Richard Yau arrived in Toronto, ON, in January 2004, joining wife, Jennifer Zhao, who had made the trip two years prior. Originally from Hong Kong, the couple earned degrees in hospitality management while studying in Switzerland and the U.S. Now their plan was to start new lives in Canada.

Eager to start earning his keep, Richard was confident his worldly education and resume would aid him in quickly finding gainful employment in his field. Afterall, the hospitality and leisure industry never seemed to have a shortage of openings for top talent.

“Jennifer already had a good job at a luxury hotel downtown,” recalls Richard, and the couple was ready to settle down and start building their nest egg. But despite his commitment and optimism, reality changed their story.

“I wasn’t getting any job offers – just silence,” remembers Richard. “It was a hard time – and we couldn’t wait around that long. Something needed to happen, or we were going to have to move somewhere else. But we didn’t want to do that. Toronto was where we wanted to be.”

That’s when Jennifer learned about Primerica from a friend, and the couple decided to attend a company Opportunity Meeting with her.^{1, 2} “I thought this company sounds like something we need to see about,” remembers Jennifer. “We went to the meeting and were impressed by the concepts and the opportunity. People need what Primerica offers. We knew we needed all of it – a financial education that’s not taught in school, income protection, an ability to save and invest for the future – and the opportunity to start a Primerica business.^3,4 Instead of working for somebody else and letting them control our lives, we could be our own bosses.”⁵

“We decided that Primerica is where we’d plant our flag,” smiles Richard. “It was something completely different than how we had envisioned our future. Jennifer and I thought about it and we could see that there was nowhere that offered us the potential that Primerica was offering. But here we were, in a country where we knew next to no one, and I had only been here for a very short time. It was a big step of faith!”

Going All In
It was through sheer force of will that Richard and Jennifer started out and pressed forward. “I talked to anyone who would listen about Primerica and what we offered,” laughs Richard. “Over the next months, I talked with around 1,500 people and I managed to get around 500 phone numbers so I could set up appointments to come see them and tell them about what Primerica offered. I also found out my hospitality skills came in handy, too. They helped me have good, focused conversations, so that I could find out what motivated a particular person. Because Primerica has always been, and will always be, a people business.

“An unkillable determination to succeed is what drove me,” recalls Richard. “I thought to myself, ‘Think less. Feel less. Just do it.’ I never let my feelings betray me because I knew that every day I was getting better. I was constantly learning more about the business. Primerica supplies quality training and resources to help you get started and envision your business plan – and those tools and technology get better all the time.”

Today Jennifer and Richard are building a solid, thriving Primerica business in Toronto.⁶ While working together to build a life they never dreamed of, they can help transform the lives of clients and team members while constantly expanding to help other families around the country.⁷

1. Primerica offers a business opportunity that involves the sale of term life insurance and various other financial service products. Primerica representatives are independent contractors, not employees. Their earnings are based on the sale of products offered by Primerica and also qualifying product referrals. Primerica representatives are not paid to recruit. Importantly, Primerica representatives must be appropriately licensed for each product line before they are qualified to make a sale.
2. If you decide to join Primerica, please know that there is a $99 Independent Business Application fee for reps in the U.S. or $103.95, which includes applicable taxes, for reps in Canada, which covers the cost of pre-licensing education and training, and the costs to obtain an insurance license. In addition, for a monthly fee of $25 for reps in the U.S. and $28 for reps in Canada, representatives are able to access important business building tools through our company intranet website.
3. In the U.S., securities and advisory services are offered by PFS Investments Inc., 1 Primerica Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30099-0001, member FINRA [www.finra.org]. Primerica and PFS Investments Inc. are affiliated companies. PFS Investments Inc. conducts its advisory business under the name Primerica Advisors. In Canada, mutual funds are offered by PFSL Investments Canada Ltd., mutual fund dealer, and Common Sense Funds segregated funds are underwritten by Primerica Life Insurance Company of Canada (Head Office: 6985 Financial Drive, Suite 400, Mississauga, ON, L5N 0G3, Phone: 905-812-2900).
4. PRIMERICA and the Primerica Logo are trademarks of Primerica, Inc., registered in the U.S. and Canada. HOW MONEY WORKS is a trademark of Primerica, Inc.
5. Ownership refers to the conditional right of an eligible Regional Vice President RVP to transfer his or her business to another eligible RVP, subject to the consent of Primerica and subject to terms, conditions and regulatory requirements. The Ownership Program Document and policies located on Primerica Online (POL) control in all respects. ¬¬
6. From January 1 through December 31, 2021, Primerica paid cash flow to its North American sales force at an average of $8,410, which includes commissions paid on all lines of business to life licensed representatives. Figures include U.S. and Canadian dollars remaining in the local currency earned by the representative, not adjusted for exchange rates.
7. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of Primerica.