Jose & Eileen Rivera Vega
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
If you ask most people, they’ll probably tell you that if you want to get ahead in life or in business, you need to get a good job and work your way up the ranks in corporate America. But for one of Primerica’s most successful leaders, Jose & Eileen Rivera Vega, of Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, they understood early on – through the example of Jose’s parents, Jose & Chester Rivera Pagan – that the best way to create success for yourself and your family is by becoming an entrepreneur.
Jose was about to enter high school when his father found the business opportunity that would change their whole family’s future. “My dad tried several different business opportunities while I was growing up but none were successful,” recalls Jose. “The last venture he tried, ended up with us losing nearly everything.”
A New Start
It was a very difficult time for the family – but then everything changed. “My dad, 41 years old at the time, was working for an insurance company when he was introduced to Primerica founder Art Williams,” Jose says. “That meeting changed his life – and ours! Art inspired him with the simple concept of building a business based on helping others. After dad’s experiences with those other businesses, he saw something different in Primerica – a real, tangible opportunity – and that got him fired up about what he could do with this business.”
He continues, “I hadn’t ever seen him as passionate or as excited about the future as he was when he brought the Primerica business opportunity back to Puerto Rico. He was excited to introduce what he’d learned to the island – and the difference that event made to our family was incredible. Our financial situation changed drastically, sure, but it was the change I saw in him that really excited me. He became so positive and his thinking and attitude changed dramatically – and that made me want to do what he was doing when I got older.”
The Next Generation of Leadership
Jose joined the business part‑time while he was still in college.* Later, he joined his father in Primerica full‑time, building his own business with his wife, Eileen, within his father’s organization. “One of the best things about this business is that it pushes you to be a better person in every area of your life, not just in your professional life,” smiles Jose. “It’s only natural – you’re spending your time helping families, and doing all that good starts to impact your life in other areas as well.”
A Family Affair
Jose says he always knew he was going to end up in Primerica, and having the chance to work with his parents, while laying the foundation for his own future, was a big deciding factor. “Primerica has the perfect structure for a family business – and we encourage families to work together,” reflects Jose. “I don’t know of many other companies who have the kind of family‑friendly culture as Primerica does.”
He continues, “Your family are the people who are the closest to you and there’s no better way to influence them in a positive way than by setting a good example of success. Primerica lets you do that! Personally, I saw how my dad changed because of Primerica and that made me want the same for myself, my wife and our two children, Gustavo, 19, and Daniella, 10.”
Looking to the Future
Jose and Eileen are proud of what they’ve done so far and they can’t wait to see where they go in the future. “A lot of people think they’re too old, too inexperienced or lack the right education to be a successful entrepreneur,” says Jose. “But at Primerica, those things don’t matter. What matters is how passionate you are to work hard and to build something great for yourself and your family!” |
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