Working at Konsileo
“Konsileo has completely ruined any other company for me, and me for any other company! I’m officially unemployable now, because I couldn’t work for anyone else. It really is the best organisation - you won’t get more freedom or better returns anywhere else. And I promise, if you put in the work you’ll see the results, too.”
For Leigh Williamson, Konsileo isn’t only a great workplace, it’s also a bit like a baby – because he’s watched it grow up.
Leigh says: “I was one of the first two brokers through the door when Konsileo was mostly just an idea about self-management, and a pilot of a completely new tech system. We only had one agency. There was literally nowhere to really place business – but I took the leap because I believed in what it could become.
“Naturally, I’m actually very risk averse – which is probably what you want in an insurance broker! I’ve got a mortgage to pay and a family to feed. But frankly, I was stressed out and burnt out. It was a case of doing something differently, or doing something else entirely.
“Broking is in my blood. My dad was born into the job and so was I – and I loved it. I’d been putting in all the hours and all the effort since I turned 18. I loved getting my suit on and I was hungry to hit my numbers every month – I thought I could sell ice to the Innuits. But after doing that for a decade I just found it grinding me down. I wasn’t doing the job I wanted to do the way I wanted to do it, I was doing it all under this intense scrutiny, and then someone else was reaping all the benefit.”
Security and Freedom
At Konsileo, brokers have the freedom to pick their own hours, their own clients and their own colleagues – and once you’re turning over enough business you then share the profits equally with the company.
“Konsileo is the closest you’ll get to having your own broking business while still getting the salary and security of being an employee,” says Leigh. “But what really sold it to me was the idea of taking it back to being about the client and the broker – and wrapping technology around that to make it better. I could see the vision, and I wanted to be part of it. Helping bring that broker perspective and build the organisation has been brilliant.
“I spent my first few years here absolutely working my socks off to create a healthy book. Now I write more business than I’ve ever written, I earn more money than I’ve ever made, and I love my job more than I’ve ever loved it. I’m at the stage where I’m getting renewals in every month and things are ticking over nicely, so I can take my foot off the gas for the first time in my career.
Work-life balance
“Like everyone else, I work so I can have a nice life, a nice house, nice things and nice holidays. Now I actually get the time to enjoy those things. Life is short and it isn’t about being in the office 9-5 – that’s what I’ve realised. Here, if I want to spend time with my kids, I can do that. If I want to go on holiday, I can do that. No one is looking over your shoulder or watching the clock. It’s all about trust – Konsileo trusting you and you trusting the organisation. And communication. We’re a group of professionals that talk and respond and share with each other.”
One of the things Konsileo allows brokers to do is Virtual Team Contracting. Colleagues can choose to work together and share commission.
Leigh says: “My book is at the point where I can be quite discerning about what I want to take on, and I can pass on the rest. I like to quote for different kinds of business and learn about lots of different kinds of risk and products and talk to lots of different kinds of clients. I’ve got my specialisms, but I’m never bored – and when I don’t want to quote for something I’ll just pass it on. So for instance I give one of my friends here all my motor trade book, and another all my haulage, and earn 30% from those cases for passing on the lead.
“In the meantime you’ve got a coach to talk to when you need to shoot the breeze with someone, and like a 100 expert brokers to draw from if you need advice.
Taking the leap
“Taking the leap to Konsileo was well outside my comfort zone. But it’s paid off a hundred percent – and it’s far less of a leap of faith than it was. As my Dad said to me at the time, if you’re not happy, what have you really got to lose? It’s a fantastic job – but only if you’ve got the right sort of temperament to do it. You get out what you put in. But if you can work independently and manage and motivate yourself, you really could have the role of your life here. Come and join us!”
If you are interested in joining the team, head over to our Careers page now or fill out the form below.
