We recently had the chance to connect with Kurt Kelley and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kurt, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity. Integrity brings effort and predictability. It someone has integrity, it’s not sure they will successfully complete their part, but it is predictable they will try and they won’t leave y0u hanging. I good friend and mentor of mine some years ago told me, “We don’t work with assholes.” That’s a life simplifying, improving rule.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I find insurance and risk management solutions for business owners and managers operating in the interesting manufactured housing, aka mobile home, industry. Such solutions require knowledge of your client’s operations, knowledge of available insurance coverages, and good relationships with specialty insurance underwriters. There’s little cookie cutter about what we do. All situations are a little different and because of that transaction costs are higher and personal effort demands are more. And because some business actions aren’t insurable, and some property characteristics are effectively uninsurable, I often act as a business management counselor. My extensive background as a business manager and formal training as a lawyer make me more valuable to my clients.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My father owned and operated a single location retail store in a small town. He worked Monday through Saturday, 8-6, 50 weeks a year and longer during Christmas season. Over the years, he found novel ways to acquire inventory faster and cheaper and that helped his business thrive. On Sunday’s, he took my mom, my sisters and me to church and then we went for our Sunday Family Hike. We’d find an interesting canyon, hill, forest, etc to walk through and enjoy nature. That was discipline.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
I was mad as an adolescent boy. My parents were in the process of breaking up, my sisters were preoccupied or moving out, and I wasn’t finding my footing in class or in sports. I needed to do something to control the rage incited by not being in control and not truly exceling at anything.
Because my family was preoccupied with their own issues, I began making changes. Reading became a source of power, education that set me ahead academically. My parents had a set of World Book Encyclopedias and a read them regularly, with particularly interests in Geography and Military History. I was reading full novels well ahead of my peers. During the same time period, I found a cheap set of weights, put them in my empty sister’s room, and hit them hard every day. The added mental and physical strength plus a growing spurt took me from an afterthought on the football and basketball teams to earning player of the year awards. From there forward, I knew I had more control over my future and my rage quelled.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Far too many live this life with little or no Faith in God. They’ve become focused on worldly matters that aren’t foundational tenets of biblical teachings. Many who achieve business or financial success are focusing most of their energy on acquiring things, or engaging in purely personal adventures. Life on this Earth is very short in relation to eternity. A focus on the actions and heart that leads to eternal bliss also lead to the same here on Earth.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
My faith, my family, my friends, my self worth. I love many of the worldly pleasures of life – comfortable home, snow skiing, playing golf, traveling to fun places,… But the touch of my wife brings me more pleasure than all of those things. The time with friends is priceless. My dog sitting near me at work and occasionally coming up to be to lean on me brings me great joy. My faith provides a foundation that isn’t going to blow with the wind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mobileagency.com
- Instagram: kurtskiandride
- Facebook: Kurt Kelley
