Know Your Purpose
“Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction and events without reason.” – Rick Warren, Author, The Purpose Driven Life
You don’t need to ask Francesca Zanelli more than once why she is here. Her life has been a journey through three P’s… from Peru to Passion to Purpose.
Francesca says she’s a God-Driven woman, always has been, and always will be and her faith in herself and what she wants in life, honoring a higher purpose, gets her going every day. It doesn’t mean it’s been easy, but Francesca says she has faced every challenge with a focus on being the best she can be.
“I moved to America when I was nine years old,” says Francesca. “I’m was born in Peru, Lima, Peru, and my family and I migrated to North Carolina in 2000 and landed in Charlotte. That’s where my dad planted roots. It was a little bit challenging simply because I had to learn English, but back home in Peru I went to a school that actually taught English as a second language, and so when I came to America, it maybe took me about a year to learn the language, and that was probably one of the most challenging parts of my childhood. But other than that, it was amazing. I loved life in Charlotte. It’s beautiful. Back then, it was a smaller town, but very nice.”
Early in life Francesca also found her passion, giving back, especially when it came to what she describes as her “weakness”, a trait that most others would see as a strength.
“I’ve always loved kids,” says Francesca. “Kids have always been important to me, I guess that comes from maybe from my mother. My mother is a social worker. That’s her devotion. Back home in Peru my mother would bring home children from orphanages – children who didn’t have parents for holidays, like Christmas – and she would always have us volunteer at the shelters and things like that. So I don’t know, it just made me care more. Kids are my weakness. I think that it’s probably why in America I volunteered with the special ed children. I would see there were not a lot of things going on in those classrooms, so I would always just pop in and bring chocolates or just hang out with them. They made me happy.”
Giving back and helping others is also one of the things that brought Francesca to the doorstep of USHEALTH Advisors. Here, the mission of HOPE – Helping Other People Everyday – is something Francesca knows is in alignment with how she lives life. This year especially, Francesca is helping others in a major way, issuing more than $1 million in personal insurance policies before the end of May! That’s a blistering pace that has propelled Francesca to number two in personal production for the entire company. Consider the fact that issuing $1 million in an entire year is cause for big celebration at USHA, Francesca’s accomplishment is already one to admire.
“My goal is to hit $2 million in issued business by the end of the second quarter, but we’ll see,” says Francesca. “I have high aspirations, but not sure that will happen by the end of June.”
Regardless, Francesca is on a major run spreading HOPE that USHA has as the core of its mission.
“It’s just a process of listening to client situations, explaining their options, and putting them in a better position. If we can help them get a policy great, that’s awesome. If I can’t help them, I send them to my marketplace link or wherever they need to go to. Or I tell them to keep what they have. It’s always doing the right thing.”
While all of this is happening with USHA, at the same time, Francesca is also putting in the time to be the best mother she can for her three boys, her purpose, GianFranco, Sebastian, and Francesco. It’s a responsibility Francesca takes to heart… and one that began much earlier in life.
“In my late teens my life took a very sudden turn,” says Francesca. “I was going to go to UNCW and then to NC State. But at 18 I got married and I found that I was pregnant soon after, and I had my son, GianFranco, who’s now entering high school. So I had to make the decision at that point if I wanted to go off to college and pursue my professional career, or put that on hold and focus on raising my son. And I decided collectively, with my family, that I was going to try community college instead. So I turned down my scholarships and with my family’s help, focused on raising my son. I did not want to jeopardize the first few years with my child for my career. At that time I thought to myself it’s only five years that I probably have to give up. I’ll go back into school, but I’ll be a mom first. I now have the three boys, and it’s fun. I’ve been a mom for a long time now and they’re my reason, they’re my why, they’re my purpose. I love having my responsibilities with work and balancing it all with motherhood.”
It wasn’t long after the birth of her first son the Zanelli family decided to move from Charlotte down to Boca Raton, Florida to help with Francesca’s ailing grandmother. Francesca’s marriage ended after a few years, but while waiting tables, bartending and attending community college in southern Florida, Francesca was offered a new opportunity, to do what she does best, help others.
“One of my clients at one of my jobs told me they were looking for a customer service representative at their new auto body shop,” says Francesca. “So I ended up interviewing with the owner of the company, they hired me and I oversaw the operations of the customer service and claim processing for collision centers. I started there when I was about 21, but I did really well.”
While working in her new role and after being single for a couple of years, Francesca says she was out one night when she met a man named Adrian Torralvo.
They started dating and Adrian is now Francesca’s fiance’ and the father of her other two children. Just as importantly, Adrian would soon be working at a company called USHEALTH Advisors, led by a man Francesca says truly inspired her, Troy McQuagge.
“Adrian had joined USHA, and I don’t think he was working there for even a year, but he got invited to a company trip in Texas at the home office. It was a five day trip and I had just taken days off at my job, but I had about three days I could join Adrian in Texas and then come back for the kids. We flew out to Texas, and I was just blown away with Troy McQuagge and everything he represents. I heard Troy up on stage and I didn’t really know what Adrian did back then. I knew he was in sales, and he’s a great sales man. I didn’t really know what the company was about, but when I got down to the home office, and I heard Troy speak, I realized he was a God-driven man with a purpose. And to have a leader like that at such a big company, throwing this huge event for the agents from all across the country I just, I fell in love with it all.”
“So, I came back home. At the time, the collision center was still a beautiful company to work for, and I learned so much from them. I’m very close friends with the owners and the managers, the general managers, everyone really, they were like family. But I reached my full potential. I mean, my move up the ranks would’ve been to become the owner, and that was not going to happen. I was making well over six figures. But when I came back home after that trip, I put in my notice without telling Adrian or anyone in my family, and I signed up with USHA. I gave my boss a month’s notice so that I could train the new person and make sure that person was situated.”
“I then signed up for my state licensing course. I didn’t tell Adrian anything until the day before my going away party. We were at the beach with my family. It was a Sunday. That Monday my company was throwing a huge going away party, and I got a call heading out of the beach, put it on speaker, and then the human resources person says, “Hey Fran, do you want to reserve this section for your going away party? Adrian was in the car and he says, “Going away party?” I looked at him and I’m like, “Yeah, I have to tell you something.” He said, “Where are you going?” I told him I quit my job, then I said, “I’m coming to join you at USHA. And I just passed my test. So tomorrow is my going away party, and I plan on starting with you the following Monday.” He asked me if I go my health and life license. I laughed, “Yeah, I got an 88.” Adrian was so happy. He went to buy three bottles of champagne. So there I am with my whole family. I said to Adrian, “I wanted to tell you in your office, but this is God and destiny telling me this is the time. And so, the rest is history. I’ve been with Adrian at USHA since. The first few years I helped Adrian with his business and his team and now I’m also a producer.”
A big producer, as evidenced by her strong output this year. So what advice does Francesca have for someone just starting out at USHEALTH Advisors and joining the commission-only sales force?
“I always tell the new agent that when you’re ready to join USHA, you have to sit your support system down. If you want to be super-successful, tell your mother, tell your brother, your cousin, your spouse, your children. Listen, I’m going to allocate one full year of my life. I am starting my own business. I’m going to need you to pack my lunch because I’ve got to outwork the competition during lunchtime, and I’m going to need you to pack me dinner because I’m going to be working late nights too.”
“Make sure that your breakfast is situated and get your sleep in and shut out any other plans for your friends or your girl’s trip for someone etc. You’ve got to shut all of that out for one year. Tell your friends, tell everyone around you because you don’t want to be a bad communicator and then look like a crappy friend, or look like a bad daughter, by not going to see your dad’s birthday celebration or whatever it may be. I think that we have to be, in order for you to be successful at anything, have to be a good delegator and communicator, right? So make sure that you also communicate with your team, with whoever’s around you that you are committing one full year to your business.”
One of the keys to big success – total commitment. It all works when you do.
For Francesca, whether it’s work or family, she’s all in all the time, and she feels the same way about her faith. Every Sunday is church, for Francesca and the entire family, and she volunteers at the church as well, living the examples her mother has taught her through the years. Francesca says she has learned plenty from her dad as well, seeing how he was able to successfully navigate his career and his life, from Peru to America, bringing his wife, Francesca, and two other siblings along for the journey to a new world.
“My dad’s an entrepreneur, a serial entrepreneur,” says Francesca. “He was always working when I was growing up. Plus, he was running soccer leagues and driving cabs. He did food delivery. He’s always into something. When he brought us to the States, he had a good friend in Charlotte who started an organic Peruvian restaurant. And so my dad came over to Charlotte to help him out.”
“Academics were important as well. I was a straight-A student. My dad didn’t play around with grades. He always explained to us how blessed we were to be in the land of opportunity. I was a straight-A student or I was in big trouble. I have told my kids this. They don’t believe it,” laughs Francesca, “but really, I would get into big trouble if I didn’t get straight A’s. My siblings too, who are all successful. My older sister works at American Express as the Centurion Relationship Manager, my younger brother works for the Department of the Treasury in Texas and my youngest sister, Angella Zanelli, she is now working with me at USHA!”
It’s a full life for Francesca, Adrian, and her children, all enhanced by their connection and participation with USHEALTH Advisors. Francesca says her work and her family are in alignment with how she chooses to live her life.
“The number one thing is that I’m a driven woman with a purpose,” says Francesca. “My purpose is my kids. Number one, I want them to see I’m a hardworking woman. I want them to aspire to be a spouse that is confident and never going to just listen to what other people’s doubts or opinions are. I tell my sons that every day. When they question me, and say, “Mom, why are you working late. I say, “Because I’m a hardworking woman.” I want them to see my as a strong, confident woman.”
“I would say that that’s probably what my legacy is, that we women in 2024 and moving forward, we are in the most beautiful country in the world. We have the freedom to be whoever we want as women, and we need to run with that and not take it for granted. We have highs, we have lows, we have hormones, we have husbands, we have children, but we have to put ourselves first. I know my selfish why, and that’s to be the very best person I can be. And that’s to be a God-driven woman, prioritizing my children and just doing right by people. And then the rest follows, because God blesses you.”
Francesca has tremendous passion, lives by her principles and knows her purpose. She is taking it all on and showing herself, her family, and others what’s possible.
We are all possible.
Until next time, thanks for taking the time.
Your Storyteller,
Mark Brodinsky
