Meet WoodmenLife’s January 2026 Sure Start Winner: Luke Willis

WoodmenLife is committed to offering training to our Sales Representatives to help them grow and develop the tools they need to best serve our members. New Representatives are invited to Sure Start, a series of lessons that helps them kick off their careers with WoodmenLife. During the 12 months following their Sure Start education, Representatives have a friendly competition with their classmates to see how well they put their lessons into action and compare their sales achievements.

Get to know our January 2026 Sure Start Winner: Luke Willis of Mayfield, KY.

Congratulations on your Sure Start victory! How did you celebrate?

I didn’t have much of a celebration — just a simple moment with family and friends to show thanks for the achievement. I am super blessed to have this opportunity and thankful for the people that helped me get to where I am today.

What inspired you to choose a career with WoodmenLife?

My father has worked for WoodmenLife for more than 30 years. Seeing him win the Top Hat recognition (WoodmenLife’s highest honor for the Sales Force) as a Recruiting Sales Manager showed me how much fun working for this organization can be. A place you can strive to set goals — and break them — and be surrounded by other driven people is a fun way to work.

Have you always wanted to pursue a career in sales?

Originally, I did not want to be a Sales Representative. But since I started, it has been so satisfying to be able to work with clients and help them achieve their objectives.

What drives you to deliver great service for your members?

I went to school to learn how to help people save money and to work toward a comfortable retirement. I have now found a job where I can do that exact thing in my community. This past year has been such a blessing working with members to set up their life insurance or investment vehicles.

What does success look like to you?

Success to me is achieving my goals and helping people as much as I can, while also keeping up a work-life balance that allows me to still enjoy the things that I love. If you can do these things, then you will have all the success you ever need.

Tell us a little about how you’re involved in your community. Why is community outreach so important to you?

I am getting more involved in my church community and meeting more people there. I try to help give out gifts for organizations in the community, such as the nursing homes or police departments. It is so important to be involved in the community and to give back what was given to me. For example, I was blessed to help out my high school football team with some funding for their locker room.

Do you have a particularly memorable moment from your time so far with WoodmenLife?

Working in the office with my family has been a blessing this past year and must be my most memorable experience. It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from them and spend time together as we help our clients.

What are your goals for the future?

My goal for the future is to continue putting one foot in front of the other — in my business, my community, and my personal life. Adversity always comes, but what matters is how we deal with the adversity and keep the momentum building for the future we want for ourselves.

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Meet WoodmenLife’s November 2025 Sure Start Winner: Owen Mathias

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