Protective's Jim Wagner, senior vice president and chief distribution officer, and retired professional tennis player John Isner explore how preparation and support systems shape confidence before a consequential decision is made. Wagner draws a direct parallel between the specialist team that sustained Isner's 17-year career and the resources a carrier like Protective can place behind a financial professional when a client is weighing retirement income, protection, health costs, or legacy planning.
Wagner argues that the quality of a client conversation depends on what the advisor can draw on when the situation requires more information or a deeper understanding of a product. Protective aims to fill that second layer of support with education, training, specialist expertise, and product resources. The carrier cannot know a household the way the advisor does, but it can make it easier to obtain information and work through trade-offs before the recommendation is presented.
Isner traveled with a trainer and physiotherapist and also worked with a strength coach, dietitian, and, for a period, a chef. Sleep, recovery, and nutrition were treated as parts of the job rather than activities surrounding it. He credits those decisions with helping him stay on tour for 17 years after four years of college tennis at the University of Georgia, with some of his strongest stretches arriving later than is typical for many players.
Isner's favorite saying captures a straightforward idea: all the hard work should be finished before you reach the moment that tests it. Once he arrived at a tournament, preparation had already removed the need to search for answers under pressure. Wagner applies the same logic to financial advice, saying Protective invests in education and training around life insurance and retirement planning so advisors can develop that knowledge before it is needed in front of a client.
Wagner says confidence is often misunderstood. It does not mean pressure or uncertainty have disappeared; it means possibilities have been thought through and the right people are in place to help navigate what comes next. A retirement plan cannot remove uncertainty around longevity, markets, or future health needs, but preparation means the client understands the choices available and has not been left with the impression that those risks no longer exist.
Financial decisions around retirement are easier to examine before income from work has stopped and a replacement source is immediately required. Wagner says advisors can help clients think through that shift in advance, whether they are preparing to retire, starting a family, or considering a career change. Those conversations can bring retirement income, protection needs, future health costs, and legacy priorities into focus at the same time, rather than addressing them in sequence under pressure.
When Isner first turned professional, tennis and earning a living from the sport were his singular focus. After marrying and starting a family, he says tennis became '1B' and family came first. Rather than hurting his performance, the shift brought greater stability away from the court and more freedom on it. Now retired, he is focused on his wife and children and on passing along the discipline he built through years of training and competition.
Protective Life Corporation, a subsidiary of Daiichi Life Group, Inc., held $148 billion in assets as of June 30, 2026. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the company employs more than 3,500 people at sites that include the greater Cincinnati region and St. Louis. Through its subsidiaries, Protective provides life insurance, retirement, employee benefits, and asset protection solutions to nearly 32 million people, backed by more than 115 years of operation.
Jim Wagner — senior vice president and chief distribution officer, Protective. Represents Protective's distribution and advisor-support strategy; frames preparation, product knowledge, and specialist resources as the foundation of confident client conversations; speaks to the carrier's role in supporting financial professionals through education, training, and technical expertise.
John Isner — tennis legend and Protective brand ambassador. Played 17 years of professional tennis after four years at the University of Georgia; traveled with a trainer and physiotherapist during tournaments; worked with a strength coach, dietitian, and chef during off-tournament periods; credits that specialist support with extending his career and enabling some of his strongest play in his 30s; married with children; now retired and focused on family and passing on the discipline built through competitive sport.