Willy & Lorena Naranjo
Miami, FL
Former Occupation: Financial Planner

Carolina Naranjo & Juan Cardenas
Miami, FL
Former Occupation: Bank Analyst

When Willy and Lorena Naranjo, of Miami, FL, decided to go into business for themselves through Primerica almost two decades ago, they weren’t even residing on the same continent. Willy lived in the U.S. for his job as a financial planner for a company in Florida, while Lorena ran a furniture business in Colombia, South America. ^{1, 2, 3}

As a couple, they were constantly in motion – with Willy commuting home about every two weeks and Lorena spending most of her time traveling around the world on business. They had a comfortable lifestyle, but no chance of leaving a legacy to their children – or even having the freedom to spend quality time with them.

“At first, I was going on appointments and meeting with clients in my spare time,” Willy recalls. ^{4, 5} “For two years, I kept traveling back and forth to Colombia and Lorena continued growing her business – which took more and more of her time as her responsibilities grew. Eventually, we realized that although we were providing for our girls financially, there was a limit to our quality of life because we didn’t have freedom of time.” ⁶

Growing Up Primerica
Daughter, Carolina Naranjo, was 13 years old when she saw her parents’ working lives starting to change because of Primerica. And soon, they were reunited for good as the family permanently relocated to the U.S. “I remember it as a very positive experience, growing up alongside other Primerica kids,” Carolina recalls. “I learned so many invaluable things from accompanying my parents to the office and to Primerica events. The Primerica environment is so positive, you can’t help but absorb it when you spend so much time in it.”

When it came time to pursue her own career, Carolina started out working as a bank analyst for a major financial firm. But it didn’t take long for her to realize the Opportunity that changed her parents’ lives could do the same for her and her own family.

“I really enjoyed meeting with clients and their families, hearing their life stories, and developing a relationship with them,” she reflects. “What I didn’t like, was working for a boss and having to ask permission to do almost everything. Primerica offered me and my husband, Juan Cardenas, the opportunity to build something for ourselves – just like my parents are doing – and we still get to make a difference in clients’ lives.”

A Heart for Community
Because of their own experiences starting over in a new country, the Naranjo and Cardenas families say they are perfectly positioned to meet the unique needs of their Hispanic community.

“Hispanic immigrant families are usually less knowledgeable about finances, and they typically don’t trust financial institutions because of their experiences in their home countries,” Carolina explains. “We give these families access to Primerica’s HOW MONEY WORKS™ concepts to help them make better financial decisions, and then we use our Financial Needs Analysis to coach them through structuring their finances correctly in order to achieve their goals.” ⁷

Offering a financial education and the right financial solutions aren’t the only opportunities these families say they provide frequently across the kitchen table. “Hispanic families often have difficulty getting ahead financially because of other issues as well – such as the language barrier or difficulties advancing in their career due to university degrees or career experience from outside of the U.S. not translating to the same standards here,” Willy states. “Primerica gives families from all walks of life and all backgrounds the opportunity to build a business and a legacy that can impact generations down the road.”

It’s About Time
Working together to build a family business and change lives is, they say, deeply rewarding for the two couples. “The most rewarding thing about being in business with your family is knowing that we are spending time – the most precious commodity – together,” Carolina smiles. “Most people spend hours away from each other every day at separate jobs. But here, we don’t have to make that sacrifice.”