Josh Naumu loves to think big, it’s part of his makeup, it’s what drives him and he knows that to have more, you must become more. But in so many ways he realizes more also means less, in other words staying focused on just a few priorities, will propel you to greatness.
Keep it simple.
“For me, it’s faith… put God first, then family, then your work,” says Josh. “When I do that it helps me to be more successful, not just at work, but when my family is happy, ultimately that is what matters to me more than anything else. I know everyone has different situations and beliefs, so my main message is to always keep your priorities straight. Identify what is most important to you and hold onto that no matter what.”
Success is simple, not easy, but by staying true to his principles and keeping his priorities straight Josh has already found great success as a Field Training Agent for USHEALTH Advisors. In only a year-and-a-half he has issued nearly $1,300,000 in business, helping self-employed individuals and families with access to affordable health coverage and other benefits. Looking at this opportunity from all angles, Josh says he sees this career as the best fit he has found in the entrepreneurial marketplace.
“I quit the startup I was working for in April 2017,” says Josh. “I quit my job before I really got started here because I learned from the experience of watching others; you’ve got to be all-in. I’ve seen people try and ease into this opportunity and keep another job and it didn’t work, no matter what you are doing. You can’t have one foot in and one foot out.”
Josh knows it’s not only about being physically present but mentally “in-the-moment” as well. If you want to make a go of it working for yourself, mindset is everything.
“I’m a huge reader and I have been forever reading books on being an entrepreneur and books on self-improvement,” says Josh. “The Millionaire Next Door had a big impact on me. I realized most millionaires were self-employed and started their own businesses. People think it’s risky, but if you work for someone else you only have one salary to rely on and if you lose it, by being laid-off or something else, you’re done, there’s nothing to fall back on. But if you are a business owner, then every client you get becomes a source of income. So you are safer… if you lose one client, not that you want to, but if you do, you don’t lose your entire income. I think that’s important for everyone to think about as they consider whether or not they want a career here at USHEALTH Advisors. People hesitate to make the leap from a salary job, but to me, it’s less risky than working for someone else, because of the fact you are building a foundation of clients. It’s ultimately on you to make the business successful, no one can do it for you.”
Success is a blessing and Josh appreciates all of his because he’s seen the other side, the challenges in other parts of the world and even here at home.
“My mission for my church was in Colombia, South America where I lived for two years,” says Josh. “It’s a completely different world. I knew I was blessed before I went, but I truly appreciated it when I was there. The first place I lived was out beyond the jungle. A little town all its own and I was the only person within about 300 miles who spoke any English. It was a very poor area. People lived in very small homes or shacks. I remember visiting one lady with two young children. Her house was basically four poles with walls made out of tarp and a piece of tin for her roof. There was a bed, a little stove and that was it. It’s an extreme example of poverty, but it opened up my eyes and gave me a good perspective, even more than I had before. I realized what amazing opportunities are available to me in my own life. I am truly blessed and I must do more with my life to help others.”
Around the same time, Josh was on his mission, back in the states, the recession hit and hit his family particularly hard. “We lost nearly everything,” says Josh. “I was on my mission, so it didn’t affect me directly, but emotionally it did. My parents provided everything for me, they had done well, and it wasn’t really their fault… mostly it was just bad luck as they were invested heavily in the real estate market. It became a big motivating factor for me in my work, I wanted to help my parents out where I could as well.”
Prior to leaving on his mission, Josh had spent his entire life in Utah, with two brothers and a sister, and he says his family life was solid. He did well in school, was active in sports and loved playing lacrosse because it spoke to his love of competition and mental toughness.
Josh says he sped through college, graduating from BYU as fast as he could because he, “wanted to get my degree and get on with my life. I talked to so many entrepreneurs who said it didn’t matter what your degree was, just that you got one because even if you majored in something ten years later you’d likely be doing something different.” Change is inevitable, growth is optional.
Growth for Josh has not come just through his work, but also his growing family. Josh and his wife Carol have been married for more than five years and have a family of their own, 4-year-old Ailana and 1-year-old Koa, and Josh is intensely focused on making sure his family is a priority.
“My greatest accomplishment in life is easy, it’s my loving family,” says Josh. “I have a beautiful wife and two great kids. My wife Carol and I have a lot of similarities and priorities in life, family and faith and values that align really well. We love spending time with the kids, it’s really fun right now. I also love spending time alone with Carol, watching a movie or a good series. We just finished with A Person of Interest on Netflix. I like shows where someone is overcoming challenges and then experiencing success. I also still enjoy soccer, and the kids are learning to play as well which is a lot of fun.”
Life can be a great ride if you let it. Josh is enjoying the ride because he knows it’s his focus on faith, family and his work that make life what he wants it to be. He knows it because he has seen the future. There’s prosperity in the planning.
“I’m a big planner and I like to set goals,” says Josh. “Around the end of 2016, before I made the leap to work with USHA, I took several weeks and put down what I want to accomplish over the next five years. Part of the reason I did that was I interviewed Amy Rees Anderson. She had just sold her business, MediConnect, for more than $350 million and she told me how years before she had created a goal poster. She thought about what she wanted to accomplish over the next 10 years and she put it all on a poster and hung it up in her office so she could see it. Amy said it was there so long, she almost forgot about it, but when she looked at it again she realized she had accomplished every one of those goals. I decided to do the same thing. I came to this opportunity with USHEALTH Advisors not just knowing what my short-term goals are, but what my long-term goals are as well – and what I have to do between now and then to get there. And also know that when it gets tough, you don’t give up.”
It’s the company’s mission and Josh’s own mission which are intertwined. On his church mission, Josh got to see first-hand what life is like for others less fortunate and it’s driven him to create the fortune in his own life. He knows he can get to where he wants to go by focusing on the company’s mission as well. “It’s HOPE, helping other people everyday, being focused on that and seeing other things that helped ground me,” says Josh. “I know it’s a big deal. Through this job, we can really help people. It’s not just another sale on the board, but to help a family perhaps save thousands a year in premium payments, gives you the confidence you are making a difference in their lives and in yours.”
Josh understands it’s people first, profits second. His priorities drive him forward and his faith grounds him. But there’s also a phrase Josh says keeps him focused. “There’s a saying I heard from a very successful entrepreneur – choose relationships over results – I try to live by that motto. I would say that priorities matter, and if you identify what is most important to you and keep it front and center, then you will be successful. I feel like every aspect of my life is good because I always try and keep those priorities straight.”
And once you’ve got your priorities in check then it’s time to expand. Josh says there is no reason to think small. “An over-arching theme for me and my team is to think big. One of my favorite books is The Magic of Thinking Big, by David Schwartz, it’s a simple fact you can achieve more by thinking that you can. Set larger goals and then make a plan to reach them. Don’t be average, but look to think big.
Faith, family, and work. For Josh Naumu that’s the way to go, and grow as BIG as you can grow, because priorities matter.
Until next time, thanks for taking the time.
Your Storyteller,
Mark Brodinsky
