Art & Juana Martinez
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Former Occupation: Billing Representative

Newlyweds Finding Their Way

In the spring of 2004, Art & Juana Martinez, of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, had just returned from their honeymoon. Immediately, they found themselves wrapped up in the reality that most young newlyweds find themselves namely, making a living. For Art, that meant working nights as a warehouse supervisor, and for Juana, it was working days as a billing representative. With their hours diametrically opposed, the young couple could only see each other on weekends. “Monday through Friday, it was ‘Hi! Bye!’ for us as we crossed paths at the front door. It was frustrating,” remembers Art.

And yet, it was during these days that Art and Juana came across a business opportunity that would be the vehicle that would change their lives, and that of their family, forever. Art recounts: “We learned about Primerica through a Representative named Gary Kornegay, who, with a member of his team, had replaced my dad’s policy, with a Primerica term life insurance policy. Not long after that, I sat down with Gary to learn more about Primerica.” ^{1, 2}

Making an Impact

“What I heard really impressed me. I could see that the concepts from the How Money Works™ financial education guide that Primerica teaches really can help families turn their financial lives around,” Art continues. “And I was impressed with the unique design of the business. I had never held a job where I could make an impact on the world. To me, a job had always just been about income. The possibility of freedom, to be in control of your own time, to be your own boss, and build a family business – it seemed like a dream. We signed up with Primerica that night.” ^{3, 4}

By the summer of 2007, Art and Juana had built their own team of Primerica Representatives and opened their own office. Over the past two decades, they have grown their vision and their impact on their community. “The concepts we share with clients and team members are life-changing,” smiles Juana. “We have worked to spread this knowledge, especially to the Hispanic community, which has historically been underserved, or even ignored by most of the financial services industry.”

Serving and Educating

Juana continues: “For the vast majority of families we encounter, nobody has ever sat down with them and educated them on concepts such as The Rule of 72, or The Power of Compound Interest. And, most importantly, the basis of our business, Buy Term and Invest the Difference. This concept says that families could buy affordable term life insurance with the coverage they need and invest the money they may save toward their future goals. And while it’s certainly not a pleasure, it is an honor when we visit a bereaved family and deliver a check that is going to help them financially after the loss of a breadwinner, because we showed them the life insurance solution that they could afford and was what they needed. ⁵

Celebrating a Family Business

Particularly gratifying for Juana and Art is the fact that they have been able to bring up their children in the positive environment and experiences that Primerica is based on. “In our community, as in almost every community, most people don’t have the money to pay for the education that Primerica offers for free,” notes Art. “We’ve always sought to teach our children the value of money and how to handle it wisely. They’ve grown up seeing their mom and dad get up every day and go for our dreams – and they have been involved in that. A big part of our legacy is that we are bringing up our kids with the right values and people skills. I would have never learned anything like that at my warehouse job.”

“We’re so proud of our team, we have been so blessed to have found so many leaders who are changing their lives the way we have changed ours,” smiles Juana. “And because of the opportunity and the concepts that we teach, we’re always finding more!”