Greatway Financial’s Asian Roots and continuing Contribution to Canada
We at Greatway Financial started improving lives of Canadians in 2009 by educating different financial strategies to help create generational wealth. It started with an idea from an immigrant from a Southeast Asian country, Philippines. To celebrate Asian Heritage Month this past May, we want to highlight the contribution of Greatway to Canadians and soon the world, that started with the Asian communities.
Historically, like many Asians, Filipinos are entrepreneurs. From managing their own farms to managing fisheries; managing a stall in the local market to pedalling food and beverages to customers at their homes. As time went by, parents prioritized their kids to receive higher education to pursue careers like nursing, accounting, engineering, etc.
Filipinos are known to be hardworking, polite, kind, dedicated, and passionate. Greatway Lead Mentor, Marlon Antonio, experienced this first-hand while working two jobs and noticed that most people attributed Filipinos to just hardworking and nothing more. It came to a point when Marlon thought to himself: “What if Filipinos used their hardworking nature as entrepreneurs? Will our community be perceived differently? Can Filipinos lead as entrepreneurs?”
With these questions in mind, the future CEO transitioned from being an employee to becoming self-employed, starting his journey as a business owner by franchising a cleaning service. He owned a truck for his garbage removal service on top of becoming a realtor. Becoming your own boss can be fulfilling for others, but Marlon wanted to know how he can help more people become entrepreneurs. He was introduced to the financial industry where he found his passion and purpose. However, he felt that he can still do more and become more impactful.
With a hint of inspiration and after all the challenges, the puzzle fit together. He opened his own Managing General Agency (MGA). With this new venture, he started helping more Canadians, one family at a time. Marlon believes that whatever your ethnicity is, “You should be the one to save your own people.” So, he focused first on helping his fellow Filipinos and taught different people from different ethnicity so they too, can help their own ‘people’.
After 10 years, Greatway now prides itself with having a diverse group of entrepreneurs. The different communities involve but not limited to first generation immigrants and Asian-Canadian minorities. Being one of the fastest-growing MGAs, we have now provided services to 130,000+ Canadians. The people we are servicing every year has doubled in the last 3 years. Our 2021 numbers are on track to double again.
With 26 owned offices currently operating and 6 more to be opened across Canada, 3000+ Canadians enjoy not just a livelihood but a profitable entrepreneur opportunity with basically no limit for professional and personal growth.
Even in the advent of this pandemic, we not only strengthened our numbers but also became one of the fastest companies to adapt to the changes. This helped produce unprecedented results, helping even more Canadians than the years before the lock downs.
What started as changing the image of Filipinos to helping create generational wealth for families, Greatway now looks forward to the integration of technology to increase our reach and the families that we can help. We are also opening more offices in more locations and bringing the Family Culture that Greatway is known for to the world soon.
The mission now is to help Canadians become educated and well prepared for their future, especially in retirement and passing on wealth. By continuing to contribute in this way, we are proud to be sewn into the fabric of Canadian culture.
To learn more about Canada’s celebration of Asian Heritage Month and the History of Asian’s Contribution to Canadians, please visit the links below:
