We invite you to meet Jose Ruiz, our Chief Executive Officer. His story is a source of inspiration that will captivate you and motivate you to believe in yourself and your dreams.
Jose, originally from Cuba, arrived in this country in 2016 with the firm purpose of building a better life. His goal was to excel and find opportunities that he would hardly find in his native country. He arrived shortly after his father, the first to emigrate and bring him to this country. Like every immigrant, he began working in restaurants, bars and cleaning, taking any job that was available to start his new life.
Tired of those jobs and recognizing his potential, Jose decided it was time to pursue his dreams of success and entrepreneurship. That's when he discovered the Insurance Industry.
Seven years ago, he took his first steps in this industry as a captive agent. His beginnings were not easy: he lacked resources, support, opportunities and training. Even though he managed to find opportunities on his own, many of them will go away due to his limited English proficiency, which prevented him from connecting with valuable potential clients.
Instead of giving up, Jose took a different attitude. Determined to overcome any barrier and did not limit himself, he bravely took the reins of his destiny. He began an arduous self-taught study and, through books, films and unwavering determination, he immersed himself in learning English with passion and discipline. He started a course being his own teacher, and he succeeded! Today he speaks the language fluently, a triumph he achieved on his own with courage, perseverance and a strong inner conviction.
In addition to facing the difficulties of properly learning the insurance industry, Jose had to look for opportunities and face difficult cases where a lack of experience and guidance prevented him from providing adequate help. Therefore, he decided to deepen his study of Medicare, regulations, social security, Medicaid and everything related to the industry, including those petty details that no one talks about and few know, except those with great experience. Again, he became his own teacher.
Jose still keeps with him three long notebooks written in his own handwriting, which for a long time became his study bible and allowed him to test his knowledge. In this constant exercise of self-learning he was finding those answers that no one gave him and even better the support necessary to move forward. At this point he became more and more convinced that when there is willpower, the paths open.
With everything said above, this person managed to become an expert in Medicare for himself. His intellectual and self-taught abilities are to be admired, right? They are a clear example that when there is a dream to pursue, there are no barriers that we cannot overcome.
At that time, Jose's knowledge standards were very high, and he did not find the ideal support. It was not until then that he decided to change the agency in search of more opportunities. In a new step, he found a key piece for his growth, a mentor who welcomed him like a son and gave him another perspective on the world of insurance, clearly no longer as an agent. Upon finding her, a renewed determination was born in José that drove him to help people like him.
His vision of becoming a reference for other immigrants and new agents led him to found Benefits & Care, a project full of challenges but fueled by his commitment and unwavering perseverance. He spent hours studying the entire world of insurance, solidifying his knowledge and purpose.
With the charisma and leadership that characterize him, Jose went to his father and spent hours telling him about the world of insurance and explaining his new vision. He managed to convince his father in such a way that he obtained the necessary support and began to recruit friends who shared his search and passion for success. With hard work and perseverance, he convinced the first agents to join his project.
However, the road was not easy. José faced obstacles such as searching for agents to establish his agency in Houston, a city where insurance is one of the main economic activities. He had to risk competing with big agencies to attract agents to his little dream. In addition, he had to face the difficult task of negotiating contracts. But these challenges were not impediments for him; His exceptional charisma and innovative vision made him stand out from the crowd.
Like any big company, Benefits & Care started in a garage, simply with excellent knowledge, a couple of chairs, a board, and a dreamer who managed to train each of the people, including his father, who decided to follow his dream and undertake at his side.
Jose dedicated every day to his team visiting the relationships he had created, introducing them and giving them opportunities that he never had, but that he created for himself. He supported his group of agents by passing them all the new referrals he received from his book of business. During the day, he trained and accompanied them; and at night, he managed only the administrative part of the company. There was a time when he focused so much on creating the company and the hiring and certification process that he spent two weeks locked in his house, getting up from the computer only to sleep for a couple of hours and to make himself a sandwich with mayonnaise.
I don't know what you would call it, I call that absolute dedication.
It is admirable that he never gave up in the face of adversity, he knew how to see beyond the problems and focus on his goal. With little, he formed a great team, willing to achieve goals beyond what was established. His achievements inspired him to continue fighting despite setbacks, towards a promising future.
Despite setbacks and complications, Jose relentlessly persevered toward his goal. He sacrificed his personal comfort and dedicated all his effort and dedication to the company. Today it is an honor to say that Benefits & Care is a successful FMO with over 120 agents and unparalleled support for Insurance Agents.
Jose's story is proof of the power of determination and resilience to overcome challenges and achieve success. It teaches us that with dedication and perseverance, we can achieve anything we set out to do in life.
We thank Jose for founding an agency where a sense of unity, familiarity, loyalty and mutual respect reigns, where values and principles guide our actions.
The team we have today is thanks to you, Jose!
