One Year On – Duncan Bennett
Konsileo one year on – Duncan Bennett
Duncan Bennett had been running his own brokerage firm and pouring hours into it – when he realised he wanted something different out of his life. When an old colleague told him about Konsileo, he knew he’d found it.
Duncan says: “Running your own business can take over your entire life, and I found that’s not what I wanted anymore. The trouble is, once you’re used to being in charge, going back to working for someone else can be difficult! Konsileo is the perfect hybrid. You get all the benefits of self-management, AND all the benefits of being an employee.”
Work-life balance
For Duncan, from Clitheroe in Lancashire, Konsileo has been a way to keep doing the job he loves, but re-balance his life around it.
“It’s great for me to be able to choose when and where I work,” he explains. “I’m an early riser, so I’m usually up around 5.00, and get a couple of hours work in first thing. That leaves me free to do the school run when my kids are with me. I’m divorced, and the round trip to the kids’ school can take up to 2 hours, so on the days I’m doing it at both ends I work at an office space local to the school.
“Because I don’t have the kids all the time, the time they are with me is really precious – and having the flexibility to be able to prioritise them is very important. It also means I can fit training in – because I took up ultra-marathon running over lockdown! I love it, and there’s no pretending I’d have had time to do it with my previous job.”
Duncan’s clients range from construction to motor fleet and property, and he works as part of Konsileo’s Northern Hub. The four brokers can collaborate on cases, bounce ideas off each other – and share income between them.
“We’ve got such a great Hub,” Duncan continues. “We’ve got experience, we’ve got drive – and we’ve all got different skill sets. It works really well, because we can pull on each other’s strengths and we’re building a good strong presence for Konsileo up North.
“It’s also great to be part of the wider virtual team. The systems let us keep in touch and do paperwork on the move, and I’ve found it great to work with. I’ve also got a brilliant relationship with a colleague based in the Midlands who supports me with day-to-day admin and account handling – and an amazing coach who is up in Scotland! He’s taught me so much already and really brings out the best in me. I’m learning every day, and that’s exactly what I like.”
Falling back in love
“I’ve always loved my job, and now I love it even more; or, I’ve fallen back in love with it!” says Duncan. “I’m already way ahead of my original business plan, with some good wins under my belt. I enjoy building relationships, and I think people buy people, not policies. It’s why I spend time networking, going to community business events – and it’s why so many of my clients come to me through word-of-mouth referrals.
“As a former business owner, it would give me sleepless nights to have so many people working remotely and independently, but somehow it all WORKS. Konsileo have had the courage of their convictions to create something really different, and really very special.
“For me, Konsileo was a chance to re-set. We talk about wellbeing, but it can be hard to stop and take care of yourself. What really sold it to me was the old colleague who first told me about it – he was literally the happiest I’d ever seen him. Konsileo has helped me achieve the same thing.
“It’s the perfect job. It’s allowed me to continue to grow – as a person and within the industry, and I’d 100% recommend it to others.”
To find out more about joining Konsileo, click here or contact Chris Sulman at chris.sulman@konsileo.com or 07898210760.
