From the Classroom to Client Conversations: Susan Sykes' Story

After a long and meaningful career in education, Susan Sykes stepped into a completely new world: life insurance. Trading classrooms for client conversations, she quickly realized that the heart of this business, listening deeply and helping others, wasn’t so different from what she’d always done.

“I spent years working with children who couldn’t always express themselves. Now, I get to sit with adults, hear their stories, and talk through their dreams and worries. It’s been a gift,” Susan shared.

Her very first application was for a 73-year-old grandmother who wanted to leave a legacy for her grandchildren. What started as a simple final expense policy turned into something much more meaningful—five $50,000 whole life policies, one for each grandchild. “Her family didn’t support her decision. But she said, ‘This is my money, and I believe in life insurance.’ She stood firm. I was honored to help her carry that legacy forward.”

Another recent client was a young man in his twenties, living in a small music studio he shares with his father, who’s currently on dialysis. The client doesn’t have a car or a license, but what he does have is a deep sense of responsibility. He’s doing everything he can to care for both his father and his younger sister, and he wants to make sure they’re protected if something ever happens to him.

Susan is working closely with him to find a solution that fits his budget and lifestyle. “We’re considering splitting the coverage into two smaller policies—one for his dad and one for his sister—so that even in his modest situation, he can create a real safety net."

She also shared a recent experience working with a family who had been burned by a previous agent. Rather than push a product, Susan simply listened. Once trust was established, she introduced solutions that offered living benefits, cash value accumulation, and even a 5% matching contribution feature over eight years. That last detail caught the father’s attention, especially with three children at home. Now, they’re exploring how to build a stronger financial foundation together.

Susan has found that trust isn’t built overnight. “Sometimes people hang up the first time you call. But on the second or third try, when you show up just to listen—they let you in. That’s when the real work begins.”

Susan, her chickens, and special office fish named Beta

She’s now licensed in multiple states and has even begun training as an annuity specialist. “The more I learn, the more I see how powerful life insurance really is. It’s one of the only tools we have that the IRS can’t touch. That’s powerful.”

Susan credits much of her growth to the support she’s felt at Equis. “The culture, the character of the people, it really does feel like family. Nick Burns once told me, ‘You’ll get better at recruiting when you start making money.’ And he was right. After my first sale, everything changed.”

She’s planning to attend the Gold Standard Tour in Phoenix, Arizona, and is more motivated than ever to see how far she can go. “I’m grateful to be part of Equis."