“I learned. I learned everything that there was to know about the industry and my responsibilities… Learning isn’t something that you can stop or should stop. You learn things every day — and should be learning as much as you can on top of that to make sure that you are a strong presence in any team that you may find yourself in.” – Aaron Regev
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over 20% of all small businesses in the United States fail within their first year. By their fifth year, this percentage rises all the way up to 50%. And, by the 10th? Only a third of them make it through unscathed.
This results in a flux of people forced to have to start fresh with their careers as they join the 6.3% of people (on average, according to the Washington Post, that are left unemployed.)
Aaron Regev, the current Sales Manager of the home warranty company, Total Home Protection, had once found himself in this very situation. But, armed with years of experience in sales and the determination to set forth into what was, at the time, a completely new industry, he managed to find success in his chosen career.
How did he do it? Learn more below as we interview Aaron on his journey over the years:
Let’s start with an introduction! Please introduce yourself.
Aaron Regev: My name is Aaron Regev. I work as a Sales Manager at a home warranty company — and have been working there for years now, training salespeople to become better salespeople and helping create the kind of foundation required to make sure that we are meeting our customer’s expectations.
What kind of career did you have before working where you are now?
Aaron Regev: I’ve been in sales for years. It’s actually this experience that led me to THP (the company that I work for now), as I was hired for my inside knowledge in sales (which I accumulated over the years of working as a salesperson myself.)
As for the company that I used to work with before THP… Well, things didn’t really work out. It ended up failing and everyone was laid off — forcing me to have to go looking for another job so that I could support my family.
What was that experience like for you? Was it easy or hard to find another job?
Aaron Regev: I would say that it was a mixed bag. If there was ever a time where I felt like giving up, it would have been then. Things were definitely rough for a while, but with the grace of God and the early guidance of my parents (who taught me from a very young age that hard work and determination will see me through anything), I was able to find a place for myself in the home warranty industry.
How did you prepare yourself for your new career?
Aaron Regev: I learned. I learned everything that there was to know about the industry and my responsibilities… Learning isn’t something that you can stop or should stop. You learn things every day — and should be learning as much as you can on top of that to make sure that you are a strong presence in any team that you may find yourself in.
Anyway, I take ‘education’ — in all forms, not just what you get from schools (which barely teaches you anything about the real world anyway) — very seriously, and I credit that for much of the success that I found in my current career.
Have you ever had a mentor? What is one thing they taught you that you still believe in today?
Aaron Regev: I’ve had several mentors over the years. Some I’ve learned a lot from (both helpful and not), and others I’ve taken inspiration from. One of my current ‘mentors’ is my boss, David Seruya, he embodies the kind of leader that I want to be — someone who knows everything there is to know about the job and the industry around that job. He just always has something up his sleeve, an idea, or a suggestion for further growth. Anyways, that’s something I’ve done my best to emulate and plan to continue emulating over the years.
Last Question. What advice would you give to someone who may be losing their confidence, who may be close to giving up?
Aaron Regev: The first thing I would tell them would be to look inside themselves. Are they happy where they are? Why or why not? All this goes back to something my grandmother told me when I was younger: “always be content”.
This is a saying that, over the years, has grown to become more and more meaningful for me. Too many times I’ve stumbled on my feet taking too many risks or pushing forward when there was no real reason to. Now, I know better. I know that sometimes, you have to take the time to be happy over the success you have managed to achieve so far, and by doing so, you can work your way up to be more honest and determined about your work.
