He just wanted to work part-time, earning $300 a month, buy a new truck and open a retirement account. That’s why Van Jefferson joined Primerica. As a construction worker, his income was $15,000 per year. His wife, Carolyn, was working at Jackson State University, earning $29,000 a year. Van bought that truck two years later and went full time in Primerica in 1993. Today he is a $200,000+ earner.

Van had many dreams as a child, but no means to achieve them. He is the 7th of 8 children, with a single mother who was divorced from his father when Van was three years old. They lived in low income housing and his mother worked in private homes. She couldn’t provide material possessions and they never took family vacations. But she was an encourager who also laid down the law and instilled discipline and a positive work ethic in her children. She insisted that her children stay in school. Van wasn’t an “A” student but he didn’t quit and graduated. He did not go to college but went immediately to work as a meat cutter and later in construction.

He had never worked a part-time job, just side jobs along with his full time job. However, Van needed extra money and thought about returning to the grocery business or cleaning office buildings. But these would require a schedule and he wanted flexibility. Hello Primerica! Van got licensed in February 1989. It took him one year to get his first licensed agent but he never gave up.

When Van and Carolyn went on a Primerica retreat at Hilton Head in February 1993, their minds and dreams were expanded. He was a Regional Leader at the time and received the “Rising Star” award. After the retreat, Van and Carolyn, who are very competitive, decided to become RVPs and made that dream a reality 90 days later in July 1993. He earned the $100,000 ring in 1998 and $200,000 in 2003. His top income for one month was $29,300, a cash amount that he would have worked over two years to earn on his construction job.

Yes, life has changed for Van, Carolyn and Kameron, their 11 year old daughter, since joining Primerica. Van and Carolyn have gone from their first house of less than 1,000 square feet to their third home (in 2004) which is 4,300 square feet on the golf course in a gated community. The family has travelled to Hawaii, Boca Raton, Disney World, Cancun and many other top notch locations with the company and on their own. They give to their church, help their mothers and save significant amounts of money. But more than material things, Van says that because of Primerica, he has increased self esteem, has a new way of thinking, engages in reading and other self improvement activities regularly, has learned to trust his feelings and has been exposed to travel and many other social and cultural situations. He writes his goals on paper and works toward them. He and Carolyn have received numerous company and SuperTeam awards, including SuperTeam MVP.

However, they still have goals. They would like to cash flow a million dollars in one year. This would allow them to totally care for their mothers and make a major contribution to the building fund of their church. Regarding the business, they want to build and see people realize their goals; they want to develop RVPs.

The Jeffersons are active in their church and community. Kameron is involved in various activities including cross country, tennis and swimming. She is even learning to play the piano. Through Primerica, Van and Carolyn have been able to expose their family to things that were not possible in their childhood. They are beginning to realize their dreams.

Team name: “Dream Team.” Van is a dreamer and knows that dreams can come true in Primerica. For him it all started with a dream and this name was put in place during the Jefferson ’s RVP run.

States: 70 licensed agents in his home state of Mississippi and also in Alabama and Georgia

Guiding principles: “God first, family, then business. Work hard and be a good person.”

Advice to new reps:

• “Work on your belief by reading and listening to tapes.”
• “Increase your knowledge and skills of the business.”
• “Be disciplined and do what you want to do even when you don’t want to do it.”

Advice to long timers:

• “Don’t beat yourself up; re-program. You can change.”
• “Don’t stop dreaming. Work on self; the process is never completed.”
• “Practice ‘TNT’ – today, not tomorrow.”

Other words of wisdom:

• “Primerica is like a ministry.”
• “Have a desire to win; be competitive.”
• “If you help people get what they want, you will get what you want.”