Kevin Leuck has been in the insurance industry for over two and half decades. Leuck started his career in 1995 at USAA, where he worked as a Service Representative. Through hard work and dedication, Leuck was given even bigger roles as he rose through the ranks. By 2011, Leuck had risen to become a supply chain manager. This role exposed him to the ins and outs of the insurance industry in a much broader way. He was tasked with drafting complex contracts, portfolio sourcing, and management. Leuck also got to negotiate a $1 billion, 10-year service contract. In 2019, Leuck decided to try a new challenge and started Kevin Leuck Contract Consulting. Thanks to his experience, hard work, and dedication, this venture is a success and continues to gain new clients with each passing year. Besides dedicating his time to growing his company, Leuck is also a dedicated father and loves soccer. He is an active figure in the lives of his children and guides them on how to become the best versions of themselves. Leuck also maintains a good relationship with his ex-wife, and the two have ensured their children feel both parents’ love. Leuck is an avid soccer fan and loves English Premier League bigwigs, Manchester United.
Please tell us a little bit about your career as an insurance professional?
I started my career in the insurance world at USAA in 1995. Through hard work and determination, I rose through the ranks, and by 2011, I was made the supply chain manager. I held this position until 2019, when I decided to start my firm, Kevin Leuck Contract Consulting. At Kevin Leuck Consulting, we negotiate risk-assessed contracts for SMEs, among other services. So far, it has been a success, and we have helped multiple businesses better manage risks, especially under the current market environment rife with all kinds of systemic risks.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company.
As mentioned earlier, I am the CEO of Leuck Contract Consulting. I started the company after more than 20 years of working at USAA. It was part of a natural growth process for my business. At USAA, I mastered risk management in supply chains and the contract process. This felt like a natural progression of my business, and it was. Since I launched Kevin Leuck Consulting in 2019, I have seen growth in the number of SMEs, and even big companies, seeking my services for risk management in the contracting process.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
One of the skills you need to become a successful entrepreneur is the ability to strategize. You need to see the big picture in all situations and then craft everyday tasks out of it. Without the ability to see the big picture, it can be hard to navigate the murky business world. You are most likely to go with whatever comes, which is a failure catalyst.
The other skill that a successful entrepreneur needs is resilience. The business world is not easy, and there are times when you will feel like quitting for one reason or the other. Among the reasons you feel like giving up are long periods without new customers or having to work long hours at a time. It’s only the most resilient that overcome such issues and become the best in their lines of business.
Lastly, it would help if you were an avid communicator to succeed as an entrepreneur. That’s because an entrepreneur spends a great deal of time meeting new clients. If you don’t have strong communication skills, you can have difficulty generating new business out of the potential new clients you meet. Besides clients, communication skills are critical for communicating the business vision to the employees. It is only through good communication that employees can execute the vision in a manner that is beneficial to the business.
What are your plans for the future, and how do you plan to grow this company?
My vision is to have a client base that cuts across the country in the next 5-years. I plan to achieve this by leveraging my vast industry networks to acquire new clients. So far, it has worked, and I believe in the next 5-years, we will have multiplied our customer base. At the same time, we intend to grow the company with a focus on consistency in service quality. Up to this point, this has set us apart from the competition, and we expect to see a multiplier effect going into the future. Simply put, the future looks bright for the company, and I have the strategy to make this a reality.
How did the pandemic and lockdown affect you or your new business?
It was tough! My business was less than a year old at the pandemic’s time, and it hit me hard. We had barely set up all the necessary systems, and were it not for my compelling vision for the business; I could easily have given up. However, on a positive note, the pandemic introduced me to the concept of online consultancy. We learned how to do business online, which has seen us cut much of our earlier projected overhead. I have also put in place many fallback mechanisms that would see the business thrive even in another global catastrophe. Essentially, the lockdown made us stronger as a business.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Our marketing process is grounded on the company’s vision of acquiring 20% of the national risk consultancy business in the next 5-years. This has helped us develop marketing techniques that help you reach the national market at the lowest cost possible. For instance, we have invested heavily in digital/social media marketing. So far, we have been implementing this strategy and, with a high degree of situational awareness, adapted our strategy to emergent market issues.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
I am lucky that I am in a business that aligns with my core competencies and experience. As such, I have not had many business-related challenges since I started. However, like every other entrepreneur, I have my own set of challenges. For instance, since I started the business, I work longer hours than I used to when I was employed at USAA. It’s a big challenge but I am slowly adjusting to it and even starting to love it.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
I have realized that the internet has a lot of powerful tools that can be used to grow a business. One of the tools that I find incredibly powerful is Trello. With Trello, I can take on large projects, distribute the work among employees, and easily keep track of their progress in real-time. This has saved me a lot of time and money.
I have also found Notion Workspace to be quite a powerful tool in managing information within the organization and keeping our customers in the loop on what is happening in real-time.
Last but not least is Zoom. Since I discovered Zoom, I no longer see the need to meet employees face-to-face as often. Many of our meetings are done in Zoom, saving us a lot of time and money.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
That would be getting all the routine work completed in the morning hours. This frees my time in the afternoon to network with clients and grow the business. It’s something I would request all entrepreneurs to try out.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
I would advise them to have a clear strategy and stick to it no matter what. Often, entrepreneurs fail because they lack a clear plan, even though the business idea is good.
What is your definition of success?
My definition of success is my business generating enough revenues to pay employees well, leave enough for future growth, and give me the finances to live the life of my dreams. It is what I have always wanted, and I can see my goal taking shape.
How can readers get in touch with you?
I am available via email or LinkedIn.