20/20 Hindsight
Kristen, thanks for putting this site together. I sold books for several summers and the longer I have been away, the better. I also got roped into selling insurance door to door for Family Heritage (sister company) by a guy named Larry Salerno (ex southwestern sales manager fired for cheating on his poor wife with one of his recruits back in 1994). It is troubling that people are taken advantage of this and students and even sales people out of college (Family Heritage) are used like this. Please keep this confidential; I applaud your efforts.
I will probably put something together…I read your story, including the rape…That is terrible!!! These types of things happen when people are put in such a bad environment and brainwashed by SW or Family Heritage Life…I was attacked a few years ago in Texas selling insurance door to door. I think the guy was on meth and he came out of the house mad that I had disturbed him. This guy was a 6'5 280 pound piker that worked in the oilfield. I am 511' and about 225 and fast, strong, and quick. He caught me off guard and rushed me, pinning me against my car…I fought back and rattled him with seven bone crushing blows. My final blow was the last chance I had to escape alive and I crunched him and broke my fist. I was able to jump in my car and get away as he kicked the side of the door and nearly broke the window. If I would have had a pistol, I would have shot him as I was in a life /death situation/ fight to the end. God spared me and I still have nightmares about it. We had numerous people in our insurance group that went through divorces (hmmm.......wonder why?). We also had the 17 year old daughter of one of insurance reps hang herself because of the stress of her mother and father arguing over the reps' schedule......i.e the husband did not like the wife being gone all the time and working such insane hours peddling door to door. Larry Salerno would run meetings telling people to continue to door knock until 930 or 10 pm to hit their goals. I had knocked at 930 when the piker attacked me........he was pissed I had come by so late on a Friday (do you blame him?) We also had numerous career suicides. One of my known best friends was roped away by Larry Salerno from a great job as a broker at Merrill Lynch to peddle for Family Heritage Life. He would be making 200k plus or more had he stayed at Merrill. Several foreign peddlers were taken advantage of by the company placing them on a very low commission contract. Of course, they were not smart enough to know how people got paid and ask the right questions like me......a smart, good looking guy that saw through the fluff. One girl from Baylor University that was young was bawling in tears behind closed doors because of the wreckage caused by Family Heritage. She was making little money and of course her car had blown up while selling (people here always had wrecked cars!!!!!!!). The wreckage was amazing here............divorces, suicides, bankruptcies, cars blowing up, serious health problems due to people working 12 hour days and then eating at Sonic late at night. It was a cultlike atmosphere similar to a David Koresh type style of leadership with tons of lies, manipulation, and even threats by the so-called "leaders" if you did not sell enough insurance. Sound familiar? Well, Family Heritage is just like Southwestern yet it is a career job!!!! Who in the heck wants to knock on doors for a stinking living. I would take the electric chair tomorrow if you told me I had to do this!!!!! Are you kidding me? I sold for FHL because I was living in Atlanta and needed to make some quick cash. I was taken advantage of because of my financial situation......this is typical of SW and FHL. Both jobs stink and are miserable ways to make a buck. I am so glad to be out of both and am much happier. What can be done to get the word out about FHL? It is a terrible situation with tons of turnover (wonder why???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Received: February 21, 2008
