Life Updates: 2023 Edition
For those who may recall, last year I made a YouTube video detailing just how much I was blessed in the year of 2022. I was going to do that again, but I feel as though 2023 was so jam-packed that it would be best if I slowed down and wrote a more heart-felt memoir to those of you who made 2023 one of the most pivotal and awesome years so far in my life.
A Rusty Beginning
If you watched last year’s video, you may remember that I mentioned working as a sales contractor for Verizon Fios as of when I recorded that in the middle of December.
It. Was. Awful.
I did not want to mention it in that video, as I was currently in the middle of working that job, but I was duped (inadvertently or otherwise? I have no idea) into a door-to-door sales job selling Verizon Fios. Day 1 was December 13, 2022 when I was greeted with a little trip into the heart of DC. I knew immediately what I had gotten myself into, and it was not looking good for me.
Fast foward to January 2, 2023 and I was still at that job. I wish I could say I knew what to do, but I didn’t. I needed the money, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career, and I had no idea what I would study if I went back to school. Thus, I would lie awake at night sobbing and wondering why God had placed me in such an awful place. I worked 11AM-10PM Monday thru Saturday, and I would spend many night hours and Sundays scrolling through job sites completely blind as to what I wanted to do, applying to pretty much any job that involved service and/or sales, just not doing it door-to-door.
I owe an infinite amount of gratitude to my incredible girlfriend, Charlotte, who not only showed me much patience as I immaturely handled this rough patch, but pushed me to find out what I wanted to do long-term for my career. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know if I would have searched as hard as I did for a career path.
Then came January 5. One of the jobs I had applied for was a position to be an Account Representative for a State Farm agent over in Reston, VA. He reached out to me via email, and we called a little bit later. After a few in-person and remote conversations, he gave me a contingent offer.
I had no experience, let alone interest, in insurance, and honestly had never laid my eyes on an insurance policy before. At the end of the day, it was a job that involved sales and not doing it anywhere outside of a desk space. I was more so excited that it got me off the streets of DC.
Now to the couple of people from the door-to-door job that I still keep in touch with: thank you for making that job bearable during the short time I was there. I am very grateful for you guys.
A Good Neighbor
The contingent offer was simple. I had 30 days to obtain my Virginia Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance License, and 60 days to obtain my Life & Health insurance License. I started the job on February 2, and after about a week or so, I passed my P&C exam. There was just one problem.
I absolutely sucked when it came to servicing customers, let alone selling policies over the phone. And when I say that, I mean I was BAD. Going into that job, I figured if I could sell door-to-door, I could sell over the phone. I was very wrong. During my first couple of weeks, I didn’t only not sell a single policy, but I couldn’t even quote a single customer or prospect. This resulted in very hard conversations with the agent, who did not seem eager to train me. Instead, he left it up to my colleagues in the office to make me an expert sales representative.
On March 3, 2023, despite the weeks I spent trying to sell policies and learn how to service customers, I was told by the agent that I was to pack up my things and leave due to my lack of production.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely defeated. I thought I had found the perfect job that met my passion — sales & service — and instead it ended up being a month of sitting at a desk with no knowledge or experience trying desperately to learn how to do the job so I could afford next month’s rent and food.
But, of course, that was not the end of the story.
Another Good Neighbor
Remember when I was working door-to-door and applying to jobs like crazy at night? Well, on New Years Eve, one of the many jobs I had applied for was to be a Life Insurance Representative for yet another State Farm agent. I hadn’t heard anything back from said agent when the other agent in Reston had hired me, thus I completely forgot about it.
Until February 22, when I received this email:
At this exact time, I was starting to tell that my employment with my current agent was headed for disaster, so I didn’t respond immediately to Isabel and decline her offer. Instead, I kept it on the back burner. So, when I got home after my last day of work on March 3, I happily responded to her:
And it was, indeed, still available. On March 14, 2023, I began working for Isabel Thao Nguyen State Farm Agency in Tysons, where I still am.
It’s a job that has pushed me in so many ways. I owe so much to Isabel for the kindness, patience, and tough love that she has shown me in my eight months of working for her so far. She hired me when I was absolute trash on the phone, but watched me as I took her advice and was determined to be the best insurance sales representative I could be. Because of this, I’ve excelled both as a person and professionally far more than I would have ever expected.
Isabel, it’s because of you that I’ve began pursuing State Farm agency as my long-term career. You took a chance on me, the college dropout with a not-super-solid resumé, and turned me into an insurance sales professional. I am very grateful for not only the job opportunity you gave me, but also the amazing friend you have been as well.
Let’s kill it in 2024.
Relationship Shtuff
Now let’s talk about my relationship with Charlotte.
For those who do not know, Charlotte and I met back in late September 2022 and began dating a little bit later in early October. At the time, she was working an internship at a biotech company in Gaithersburg, MD while I was working as a barista at Peet’s Coffee in Fairfax Corner.
Between then and June, we would see each other on the weekends and on the occasional weeknight that we were both available. Then, in June of this year, she was accepted into Colorado University School of Medicine. By that point, she and I had been praying for her to get accepted into a medical school in a safe area for several months, so this was a huge answer to prayer for the both of us. So as of the time I am writing this, while I am selling insurance for Isabel, Charlotte is over in Colorado studying!
We’ve been asked a lot how long distance has been, and honestly, it has been far more of a blessing than a curse to us. We cherish the times we have together so much more now, and it also allows us to focus more independently on our respective career pursuits, as we are both quite busy as a result.
On that note, though, one thing I have greatly learn to appreciate about our relationship is how we both have strong work ethics that have us actively pursuing our long-term career goals. It’s pretty cool being in love with someone with as much of a passion to excel professionally.
From Grace to Glory
It was a very typical Saturday morning for me on July 1, 2023. I remember it very vividly. I had met with my dear friends Alex and Gavin at First Watch for breakfast as we didn’t have men’s Bible study that morning. As I’m on my way home, I get a text from my mom that my Grampa, Ray Luci, was in the ICU with health problems. Within the span of hours, my parents were driving and on their way to Frankin, TN, where my mom’s side of the family lives, to visit him. I later booked a flight for myself for the following Sunday afternoon.
Two very dear friends of mine gave me a ride to the airport on said Sunday afternoon, one of my cousins picked me up, and we headed straight for the ICU. It was hard to see him in such a state, but my Grampa had made it clear to us that he wanted this to be his time to go and be with the Lord. On July 5, 2023, my Grampa Ray Luci went to be with His Savior.
Many of us in the family coined him the term “The patriarch of the family’s faith”, and I don’t think there’s a more appropriate way to describe him. He and my Gramma raised my mom and her siblings in honor and love for the Lord, and they, in turn, did the same with me, my siblings, and my cousins.
We love and miss you, Grampa!
A Dream (Car) Come True
When my brother, David, bought his Tesla Model 3 in the fall of 2021, it almost instantly became the car I wanted as well, despite being a college student with absolutely no income outside of my minimum wage job on campus.
In January of 2023, I wanted to set a goal for myself that seemed almost impossible to achieve, but one that would subsequently push myself to be better. While in between my door-to-door and State Farm jobs, I made it my goal to purchase that very car.
Ever since I got my driver’s license in 2021, I was driving my dad’s former 2008 Toyota Camry. Because of the many circumstances in life that transpired this year, on October 31, 2023, I picked up my very own Tesla Model 3.
After all the uncertainty at the beginning of 2023, driving the car that felt impossibly out-of-reach for years feels quite surreal. And after about a month of driving, I can say it’s been a wonderful vehicle to drive!
Conclusion and Aspirations
I’ve truly been blessed so much this year with an incredible job, the joy of being in such an amazing relationship, the hope of knowing that my Grampa is in the presence of the Lord worshipping Him forever, and the means to own the car I’ve been dreaming of driving for so long.
As mentioned earlier, my long-term goal career-wise is to continue working for Isabel until potentially opening up my own State Farm agency. Becoming a business owner is not something I would have ever seen myself pursuing, but nevertheless is what I have found myself passionate about.
And on that note, that is all for me when it comes to this year. Will I do this kind of thing again for 2024 or will I do a video again? Who knows. As my Grampa used to say, we’ll fall off that bridge when we get to it.
