Building His Own Economy

In his caring relationships with clients, Calvin Sales supports individuals in building, protecting, and growing their financial assets. Calvin is a Financial Services Professional with New York Life and fluent in the many financial events that individuals encounter throughout life. With an educational approach, Calvin consults with college graduates, mid-career professionals, retirees, and everyone in-between to create and execute plans for their unique goals. Calvin’s practice currently spans the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

The trustworthy, authentic relationships that Calvin builds with his clients are the foundation of his business. He cares about understanding his clients’ passions and goals so that he can help them create a plan that meets their needs. His clients come from all walks of life, each with their own financial visions. On a daily basis, his clients may ask, What happens to my student loan debt if a life-altering event occurs? How do I stay on track with my 401k goals after I leave my company? How do I pay for long-term care without selling my life’s assets? With every client, Calvin shares their worries so they don’t have to carry the burden alone. A great professional reward thus far, a relationship of Calvin’s, with his help, was able to secure life insurance for an individual who struggled to obtain it for two decades.
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Carefully considering his clients’ unique needs, Calvin offers solutions that are most applicable to them. And, he constantly educates himself on the latest insurance policies and trends to remain a knowledgeable resource for his clients.

“Calvin Sales provides personalized attention, crafting products to fit your individualized needs! He listens in a professional, knowledgeable manner that oozes with genuine concern and care for your financial well-being. Calvin…instills confidence that your investment – in whatever form is best for you – will be well maintained!”

Recommendation from one of Calvin’s clients on LinkedIn.

Calvin asks his clients for two things when they commit to their financial plan: love, and discipline. Loving oneself (or another person) and consciously engaging with the plan enables clients to use it for their highest benefit. To help his clients stay accountable, Calvin coordinates bi-yearly or yearly meetings to check-in.

When Calvin is not checking in with his clients about their financial plans, he supports them in many other ways. He is a connector between dozens of individuals in five different states and uses his network to help those within it. After two different clients from Connecticut called Calvin about their businesses — one, a baker with a damaged car who could not deliver her goods, and the other, a mechanic looking for business — Calvin readily connected them.

“I’m connecting these folks, and there are more opportunities for them to help each other. I jokingly say, ‘I’m trying to build my own economy.’ I’m trying to help people who want to help others, and ultimately, we can all help each other reach our goals,” says Calvin.

Before Covid-19 pushed work-from-home mandates, Calvin conducted all of his consultations from his office in Pittsburgh. In March of 2020, Calvin packed up his office; when he got home, he signed up for a Zoom account to continue supporting his clients. Using the shifting circumstances as an opportunity, Calvin also organized a virtual networking event for his colleagues so they could stay connected and support each other. Throughout the Covid-19 public health crisis, Calvin also leveraged social media to share valuable resources with his clients.
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Calvin Sales attending a virtual networking event — “As that web starts to weave itself, it’s going to become a lot stronger. And that’s where I see the biggest benefit because it ultimately helps everybody win,” says Calvin. Photography by Marie Sales Photography.

Calvin’s grandfather, who ran a barber shop and was deeply connected to his community, inspired much of Calvin’s business approach—including developing caring relationships with his clients and using word-of-mouth to connect them. Additionally, after working in the collections department at a Pittsburgh bank, Calvin re-affirmed his desire to be of service to clients and help them construct real solutions, rather than an authority figure.

“My financial career started where people were already behind the eight ball, so to speak, in a collections platform. That’s why I’m passionate about working with and guiding clients—if you can teach people how to get out of debt, you can teach people how to create wealth,” says Calvin.

Calvin joined his eforever peer group in Castle Shannon (Pittsburgh, PA) in January of 2020. With his new network of like-minded entrepreneur peers, Calvin continued to connect people to one another and support their businesses. He started collaborating with one of his peers by sending her product—mystery self-care bundles—to his clients.

The support from his peer group helped Calvin step more fully into a business owner mindset, reminded him that he wasn’t alone in the pandemic, and gave him confidence to pivot his business. After one conversation about social media trends, Calvin decided to update the way he used his social platforms. He stuck with his intention by using one of the staple tools in the eforever program, a worksheet that organizes different business goals across several months.

“The 30, 60, 90, and 120-day map out was something that I valued because it kept me accountable in my planning. Social media gave me a lot of angst, and now I’m more open to using it and leveraging it in a powerful way.”

Calvin Sales

Writing business plans and having a growth mindset have also been powerful topics that Calvin’s peer group has delved into.

“Our discussion about having an appropriate business plan and being able to pay yourself first was one of the more powerful conversations for me. Business owners tend to not pay themselves because they go into business with a mindset of helping others first and foremost.”

Calvin Sales

Since March of 2020, Calvin has rewritten his business plan multiple times.

To start constructing the best insurance plan for you, contact Calvin at csales@nyl.com. All consultations can be conducted virtually. And, follow Calvin on Facebook for helpful financial resources.
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