Pros
Total flexibility of time management; no micromanagement whatsoever. The fraternal atmosphere creates a close knit company culture and a deeper sense of doing what is best for the client. When you come on board, you are given at least 350 existing clients to manage, helping to create new business with them. Wide range of products to sell. Decent financial support (in the form of a draw, though; not a salary) as you get started.
Cons
The freedom is a double-edged sword; because there is very little day-to-day accountability from a manager, sales quotas can sneak up on you and take you out of the game pretty quickly. Clients don't appreciate the turnover in their agents; so that can be a tough obstacle to overcome when initially contacting them. Draw ends at 18 months; then it's straight commission. Also, it is not the best place to be if you want to deal primarily with the investment side rather than the insurance and annuities side--Thrivent is very heavy on the latter.