Final Expense to Financial Freedom: How the Kennedys Turned Life Insurance Into a Legacy

What happens when you stop chasing status and start building a family mission? 💥

In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, Roger and Chris sit down with John & Jen Kennedy of Kennedy Wealth Strategies—a husband-and-wife team from Chattanooga who’ve turned life insurance, Medicare, and annuities into a family business grounded in faith, service, and legacy.

You’ll hear how John went from saying “no” to the industry for six years… to writing over $24K his first month, building a thriving Medicare vertical, and issuing over $5M in annuities from Jen’s Medicare book alone—all while raising three kids who are in the journey with them.

Along the way, the Kennedys share:

• 🎯 Why culture, mentorship, and aligned values matter more than high comp

• 💬 How to get spouse buy-in (and why peace at home is a business strategy)

• 🤝 The shift from status to service—and how it changed everything

• 💸 The simple, permission-based annuity question that opened the door to millions in production

• 🧭 How to cross-sell life & annuities from Medicare appointments without feeling “salesy”

• 🕒 Their red / yellow / green time strategy for protecting family time and building freedom

• 🥊 What it means to fight for your business and with your spouse instead of against them

• 📈 Their “irreducible minimum goals” for annuity, life, and Medicare growth
  
  

If you’ve ever felt:

• Torn between family and building your business

• Stuck in a culture that doesn’t fit your faith or values

• Unsure how to expand past a single product or vertical
  …this conversation will give you clarity, language, and a path forward.
  
  

They build with their kids beside them, pray with clients in the office, and model what it looks like to build a business that funds a life, not just a lifestyle.

 

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💬 Tell us in the comments:
What resonated most—spouse buy-in, culture over comp, or the permission-based annuity question?

📩 If you’re an agent looking for mentorship, community, and proven systems, reach out to our team to learn more about partnering with Life Insurance Academy.