Josh & Tracy Payne
San Jose, CA
Former Occupation: Athletic Director

Building Something Unbreakable

For Josh & Tracy Payne of San Jose, CA, their Primerica story began after a huge turning point in their lives. “I played baseball my entire life,” shares Josh. “I went to a Division I college and loved chasing after my dreams on the ballfield. Then one day, I was stuck laying on home plate staring up at the sky. I’d just suffered a career-ending back injury and knew my days as an athlete were coming to an end.”

Josh admits he quickly felt there was something missing. “I immediately needed a new dream to chase after,” he says. “I knew I’d outwork anyone, which was how I went so far with my baseball career. But once that tool was gone, we had to go back to my toolbox and relearn everything. It felt like starting all over again, but it gave us the chance to get in proximity with people who had the lives we wanted.”

An Eye-Opening Moment

With big dreams ahead, the Paynes choose entrepreneurship and never looked back.¹ “We latched onto the system quickly because once we had a chance to sit down as clients, we realized the true need for Primerica’s solutions. It opened our eyes to the lack of equal access to financial education and resources across all economic levels.”

“When it comes to a traditional education, they don’t teach you what you truly need to know to manage your finances, save and invest,” Josh reflects. “My wife, Tracy, graduated from Berkley and didn’t know a lot of what Primerica was teaching us. We realized a lot of our family members probably didn’t know this information either. So, we kept asking ourselves, ‘How are we going to be sure they get it?’”

Not long after, Josh and Tracy passed their licensing exams and brought what they learned to those in their circle. “Since then, we’ve built a career beyond our wildest imaginations,” Josh says. “At some point in everyone’s life, they will face a situation where they realize the importance of building a business that can last. We’re able to tend to all of life’s moments – taking care of family, being there for our kids, you name it. We’ll all receive that call at one point or another and thankfully, because of the freedom afforded to us through Primerica, we’re able to show up.”

Having Options

He continues, “That’s what it means to truly be free. Of course, there’s tangible freedom, but then there’s freedom from an emotional standpoint that our business has afforded us. The freedom to have options, choices, and the ability to do what we want, with who we want, and not having someone else dictate what our lives are going to look like. That’s what it means to truly be free in our eyes.”

1. Primerica offers a business opportunity that involves the sale of term life insurance, securities, and various other financial products. Sales representatives are independent contractors, not employees. Their earnings are based on the sale of products offered by Primerica and also qualifying product referrals. Importantly, for many product lines, sales representatives must obtain required licenses before the representatives may sell those products.