Robert J Waltos, CLU, ChFC, MSM, MSFS
Managing Partner
Region: Western

A Rewarding Career Choice
Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, I was a college student.

I joined Northwestern Mutual because I appreciated the value that the insurance industry brought to peoples' lives.

Having lost my father young, I understand the benefit of having our products in place and family protection. Northwestern Mutual is a top rated financial services firm and at the time, as well as currently, had the best reputation in our marketplace.

The Rewards
The greatest reward of our industry is that we're able to help families protect themselves.

We're the people who help them keep their children in their home and allow them to maintain the same school that they were raised with their friends, to guarantee or protect college educations, and provide conservative long term assistance.

I like the fact that we're the boring ones on the block that can help people out.

The Challenges
This is an industry where it's about work. It's a work-driver industry and it's an industry where you're asking people to look inwardly, to look towards their future, and to purchase intangible products.

That's what this is all about and sometimes it's hard for people to think about the future when they get caught up in the today.

The biggest challenge in our first few years is that of learning the complexities of the industry, learning the intensive discipline of the process and enabling yourself to become a small business owner.

One of the greatest privileges of this business is it allows you to be a business owner, not just an employee transacting business.

Key Learning
What I've learned is it's hard to manage yourself but you have to have an attitude that no matter what it takes, you have to do x, y, and z.

You have to figure out a way to create movement and make things happen and whether or not you become successful is all on us. People need our products, people benefit from owning our products. It's our responsibility to go out and touch people.

Making a Difference
One of the greatest joys I reflect on was a claim that I had earlier in my career.

Northwestern Mutual policies were in place for the young person who passed away. The policy allowed for a family member, in this case the mother, to be able to stay in her home and educate many of the client's siblings.

The most important part is that I had done a thorough fact finder, even though the financial situation may not have merited it, and I was able to allocate all the resources -- not only the Northwestern Mutual insurance resources but the outside resources -- and put them exactly where my client intended.

Notable Milestones
I have now been a Managing Partner for the past six years. Prior to that I was a Field Director and a College Unit Director.

Looking back, after being a Manager for the last nearly two decades and bringing people in successfully, one of the first interns that I brought into the Northwestern system is currently a managing partner in Omaha.

It is exciting is to see the people that we have brought in over the last 20 years, the people that you have groomed and have made successful and the number of lives we've impacted indirectly through the hundreds of people we've brought into Northwestern Mutual.

That is exciting and it feels great because the biggest thing we know is the industry is shrinking, and if we are not there touching people, people aren't getting taken care of or service.

Considering the Career
Understand that you are in a "worth" career. This industry is about worth and it is about discipline and process.

In coming with Northwestern Mutual, you are blessed with a world-class risk based insurance platform.

Northwestern Mutual has consistently received the best ratings for insurance financial strength from the four major ratings agencies. They are also known for some of the best training in the industry. The part that is up to you is prospecting and hard work and discipline, and if you are willing to accept those as a challenge, the feelings are unlimited.

The Northwestern Mutual Difference
I believe Northwestern Mutual does a better job of the protection of assets along with an investment strategy investment plan.

I also believe that they take good care of their Financial Representatives and provide a stable environment and a quality product, which is why it is not unusual to see people at Northwestern Mutual with 20, 30 and 40 years.

It is also a great statement about the company, about the product, about the clientele. When you look the number of people that intern with the people, you know that kind of a free look at the organization and chose to go full time.

I think the values and the values alignment with our clients and with the home office are really what separates our company, and most importantly I can tell you through my years as a Financial Rep, my years in corporate, and my years as a Managing Partner, that truly Northwestern Mutual always puts the client first.

The Value of Work and Discipline
The last thing that I have to offer to people who are looking at a career is this: Vance Caesar gave a talk to the board at Chapman one time, and he was talking about highly successful people, and happy and unhappy highly successful people.

As I recall, and this is by no means a quote, but there were only two separating factors from happy highly successful people and unhappy ones. The one was purposeful work and the second was discipline and I feel so privileged that in our business and our industry that both of those are cornerstones to what we're all about.

Outside of Work
I am blessed to be a father of two wonderful young girls and enjoy my family very much. They are priority one in my life.

Also, in the community, as an organization, and individually, I've chosen three major charities to be involved with.

One is Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and we chose that foundation because one of our clients in the organization had children with CF. At first I didn't realize how critical it was for people on the outside to get involved, but when I joined I knew that it was a charity that is dedicated to extending the lives of children.

It is about children who die, and what a better place to expend resource and energy then trying to extend those lives. Currently I am serving as President of the Southern California chapter, and I sit on the board, and our office actually hosts one major golf tournament a year for them. As many people in our office are getting involved, it is exciting to see it become a unified focus, not just a personal focus.

The second area I spent a lot of my energy is Chapman University. My wife and I are the chair of the business school there, and I sit on the board of counselors.

We also have established a Women in Business Scholarship among other things to Chapman. We've been excited and privileged to see the university thrive over the last five years and are excited to see its continued growth and development.

The third area which we've gotten involved a couple of years ago is Hoag Hospital. We're putting some resources currently through the Toshiba Golf Tournament and our sponsorships of that event.

Over the next several years we are going to get much more involved and I am excited about that. We believe it's critical for the organization to be involved in the community and personally it's one of our values.

Robert Waltos has been associated with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network since 1983. Visit the Waltos Group website to learn more about him, or call the office at 949-863-5800.