When you have a discussion with Kourtney Funk about how he arrived at this point in his life, you can practically hear the wheels turning as Funk ponders all the steps, trials and successes that brought him to today. He reflects on how the time from his early years growing up on a dairy farm in central Illinois to taking his circuitous route to family man and problem-solver for Home Warranty of the Midwest, Inc. has molded the husband, father and business partner he is today.

 

For background, the self-described “farm kid” became a “city kid” once his parents divorced when he was 11. Sports became a stabilizing factor of an otherwise topsy-turvy childhood. Kourtney loved all sports, particularly basketball and baseball, the latter of which he came to excel at. Eventually, Funk’s path led him to Illinois Central College but things did not go to plan. Kourtney struggled and did not do well academically.

 

But that’s when he reached a turning point.

 

“At that pivotal time in my life, I was introduced to Jesus for the first time and started to develop in His faith,” Funk said. “The God of Heaven became real. In beginning to walk this new path, I got serious about life. I cleaned up a lot of the bad habits I had developed because I now wanted to continue down this journey.”

 

From there, Funk went back to Illinois Central for a law enforcement degree before making the trek to Illinois State, where he received a bachelor’s degree after studying parks and recreation. While working in construction after earning his degree, Funk started to realize his calling and began applying for positions in Christian camps.

 

“That’s where everything kind of got set in motion,” Funk said. “I received a job at Spring Hill Christian Camps in Indiana, where I met my wife, Sarah. Her sister just so happened to be a secretary there and we met through her.”

 

Despite enjoying his work at Spring Hill, Kourtney eventually moved back to Illinois where he and Sarah got married. He jumped back into working construction. He bought his first bass boat, a small boat that kickstarted this now second true love: bass fishing.

 

In the meantime, the couple went on to have four daughters, Noell, Kaelyn, Korah and Willow, while Kourtney continued his work in construction, mostly doing remodeling. But despite the new family and developed faith, something was still missing. The couple had long loved Kentucky, Sarah’s home state, and had a desire to make the move. They were endeared to the lifestyle and the people. Kourtney and Sarah felt Kentuckians were outstanding people with strong values and principles. They were people more closely aligned with what the Funks were about.

 

“So one day, I receive a call from Jane Freibinger, a woman I went to church with and whose husband I played in a basketball league with,” Funk said. “She asked me whether I liked my job and, knowing I’d had a prior desire to move to Kentucky, asked if I’d be interested in selling home warranties. I already had been licensed there so I jumped at the opportunity.”

 

The Funks moved to Kentucky, specifically Grayson, nine years ago, before purchasing their own house in Russell County down by Lake Cumberland less than a year later. The move has allowed Kourtney and Sarah to raise their family and live the life they’ve always dreamt of.

 

“I’m surrounded by six girls when you include my wife, four daughters and, of course, our family dog,” Kourtney joked. “Our home in Kentucky and life here has provided them opportunities to grow and enjoy anything they want to. Our two oldest just signed up for the Kentucky National Guard. Noell, our oldest, will be in basic training this spring while our second-oldest, Kaelyn, will be there soon. Korah, our 14-year-old, loves volleyball and astronomy and Willow, our youngest, is hilarious and, I believe, has an interest in becoming a YouTube influencer.”

 

Not only has the rest of his family found their niche, but Kourtney has as well.

 

“The lakes here are awesome” Funk exclaimed. “If I’m around water, I’m good. I joined Kentucky Bass Nation, a great organization full of good guys who are just wonderful people, and have started bass fishing a lot. I even won a couple of tournaments last year. Between that, exercising, playing golf and spending time with my family, I have realized I have developed an environment around me that makes it possible for me to best help my clients when I am on the job.”

 

It has given Kourtney the time to reflect on what drives him and why he chose to get into this business. It was an aspect of servant leadership that his father, who was a salesman in the dairy industry, instilled in him at a young age.

 

“I want to provide a company that’s part of a solution and doesn’t create problems,” Funk said. “We take pride in limiting many of those post-closing headaches and enhancing real estate agents' lives, providing solutions for agents' clients. They use my company and I fix things for their customers. I’m somebody who prides myself in being a great teammate so I enjoy that aspect of working with agents to provide an exemplary service.”

 

It has become apparent that Kourtney’s ability to overcome and evolve throughout his life has helped him develop this life in the Bluegrass built around servant leadership, helping others and being the family man he has been driven to become.