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12-2023
December 2023 Newsletter 
President's Report
With the month of May being Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM), I trust that you are focused on increasing awareness to clients, prospects, and even other financial professionals of the importance of this most valuable protection.
Disability Insurance touches the lives of many people and is one of the only insurance products that helps the person that purchases it more than it does others. When I was “young and immortal” in the business, I had a General Agent and mentor that took a personal interest in me. He was one of the key reasons why I was able to survive those first years of my career in insurance.
One day, he said to me, “Greg, you can’t sell what you don’t own.” Based on that advice, I decided to get Disability Insurance, even though I was sure that I was never going to need it. Like many prospects that I talked to, I was convinced that, as long as I could use my mind, I could continue to work. Ever heard that from your prospects before?
2 ½ years later, I was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease with no known cause and no known cure. Although I was never totally disabled, I would lose days at a time from what I called “attacks” of vertigo. They would last anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes at a time, usually leaving me unproductive for the rest of the day.
Providing for a young family, I was struggling to continue to work. This great Mentor noticed my struggles and asked me, “Isn’t this exactly the reason why you have disability insurance?” This question not only changed my perspective that I wasn’t invincible, but it has been something that I have asked of my clients that had the right coverage in place. It has saved their ‘financial bacon’ as it did for me at that time.
Hopefully, you have a personal story, either of one of your own clients or even of yourself, that you can share with your clients and prospects. It helps you share the importance that your own policy is for you. It has absolutely helped me illustrate to prospects the difference that having the right protection in place means to me and can be for them as well. It becomes your ‘why’ of being in this business.
Please share with us some of your successes during DIAM, as well as with other financial professionals. It can also become part of why they should join IDIS.
Greg Nelson, ChFC, DIF
2023 President
Study Group Webinars
"Growing Your Practice with Multi-Life Disability"
Join us on May 18th to hear from Randy Peck, Principal of Peck Financial and Founder of TrustButler.com.
Randy will discuss talk to us about:
- How to start a conversation with an employer or COI about their income protection coverage
- Why employers need to have a role in helping their employee population address income protection gaps
- How to make a multi-life offering compelling for the sponsoring company and the eligible participants
Randy is the Principal of Peck Financial, and is a member firm of the M Financial Group.
REGISTER NOW
Upcoming Webinars
JUNE 15: Derek True, Di Center
JULY: No Webinar
AUGUST 17: Jim Leary, OneProtection
SEPETEMBER 21: Rick Cordaro, Principal
OCTOBER: No Study Group - IDIS Annual Conference is October 9-11 in Portland! Register today!
Annual IDIS Conference
Save the date for our 19th IDIS Annual Conference, which will take place in Portland, Maine on October 9-11, 2023!
Our Conference Committee is hard at work planning an event you don't want to miss! The IDIS Annual Conference will provide an opportunity to hear from expert speakers, reconnect with friends and colleagues, and stay up-to-date on current trends in the Disability Insurance industry.
We are so excited to be heading to Portland, Maine - a city with "a perfect blend of present with a very special past". Hotel details and more will be coming soon, but in the meantime you can find information about what Portland has to offer on the Portland's Visitor Website or Official 2022 Visitors Guide.
Stay tuned for more details, which will be posted as they become available!
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
We thank all of our sponsors who continue to support our organization. Please click here if you are interested in learning about sponsorship opportunities for our 2023 Conference. Interested sponsors may also purchase a sponsorship online.
Let's Spread the Word!
A big thank you to our membership committee and Board for approving a new promotion in recognition of Disability Insurance Awareness Month! IDIS Members -- we need your help to spread the word as brand new members can join before May 31 for only $10 per month! If you have a colleague or friend that would benefit from being an IDIS member, please direct them to our website for more information! 
Membership
MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS
2022 was a record-breaking year by welcoming 47 new members to the International DI Society and we hope to exceed that number in 2023! Please help us grow our organization by introducing IDIS to colleagues and invite them to join in one of the monthly study groups. You can also find us on LinkedIn- so be be sure to follow and share with your network!
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THANK YOU TO OUR APRIL RENEWING MEMBERS
Howard Klebanow - Business Underwriter Associates
Kurt Braundmeier - Baker Birdwell
Clay Birdwell - Baker Birdwell
Tom Petsche - Landmark Financial Services
Mike Zimmerman - The Plus Group
Reed Schnittker - The Plus Group
Eugene Cohen - Eugene Cohen Agency
Michael Cohen - Eugene Cohen Agency
Andrea Schnarr - Illinois Mutual
Jeff Wilson - Illinois Mutual
Mark Wutt - Illinois Mutual
Jim Kuny - Illinois Mutual
Dave Plumb - Illinois Mutual
WELCOME TO OUR APRIL NEW MEMBERS
Sam Pape - Delta Dental of IA
Carolyn Rossi - MassMutual
Sarah Hedges - MassMutual
Brett Schepis - MassMutual
Nancy Atkins - New York Life
Rebekah Little - Ameritas Wealth Advisors
Member Buzz
Do you have an important life or career update you would like to share with IDIS members?
Please send information to Mollie Montgomery at [email protected] so we can be sure to highlight your updates & achievements in our next newsletter!
