Phillip Finnell: Sales Representative

Can you share your background and what motivated/inspired you to join the Leafguard team?

My background is in education. I was a teacher for 18 years and coached volleyball at different levels. I also coached boys’ golf. I joined Leafguard because I was inspired by the opportunity. I lived in California then, and my wife and I took a chance: We answered an online ad, talked to a couple of managers, and moved our family, our four daughters, to Tennessee.

What is something that stood out to you about the opportunities at Leafguard?

We always look to the leaderboard for so many sales professionals in the industry. On the leaderboard, I saw a teammate who had sold roughly a million dollars worth of gutters within six months. And I thought this young lady had sold and made $10,000 to $15,000 a month doing this job. It became transcendent to me that I could run a few appointments daily and have opportunities to make this income for my family. That led to my decision to join the Leafguard family and, later, the Great Day family.

How would you explain to your friends and family what working here is like?

Working for Great Day transformed not only my life but also my family's. It gave me an outlet to be myself, communicate with people, solve problems, and look within to improve. It allowed me to grow in expertise and, in turn, help those around me as much as possible.

Tell us about a professional success story that you’re proud of.

Respective to coaching, it would be what I could accomplish within those 18 years. I was a champion for 17 out of 18 years and went undefeated for 15 of those 18 years. My wife and I opened our club facility to coach volleyball and mentor young athletes ages 8 through 18. Facilitating the growth of these athletes over time was always inspirational to me.

Within Leafguard, I would have to challenge myself, compete, and grow. In my first year out, I sold 2 million. In my second year out, I sold 3 million; in the third year, I sold 2.6 million. I always try my best for every appointment and do right by customers. I'm very professional from start to finish. No matter the obstacles, I will do my job 100% of the time, and that's encouraging to me and those around me.

What are some important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?

In the sales world, it's easy to get down on yourself. There are peaks and valleys, and the most significant thing I can do most of the time is maintain a middle ground and understand that there will be great days. There will be days when I truly believe that failure is an object of getting better. When you fail, you learn how to get better. The best lesson I can give is learning how to fine-tune that and understanding how you grow through failure. At some point, everybody will have to understand where they can increase, get better, and perform at a higher level. If you're genuinely challenging yourself, you won't let defeat get in the way of progress.

Any advice for colleagues or individuals aspiring to advance their careers within the organization?

You must be willing to set goals for yourself. If your goal is to progress within the company, you need to note where you're at and where you want to be, not only daily but also hourly. Many people miss their goals because they don't take the time to set them first.

Anybody who wants to improve in their life must have attainable goals, and then they should have “dream goals.” Those two must coincide and exist together. This is something I live by and something I've taught my daughters to live by as well. It increases your opportunities in life overall.