Pauline Kussart’s entrepreneurial spirit brought her to the ARM industry; her drive and work ethic helped her stay.
11/19/2019 9:00
The long path to success for Pauline Kussart, president and owner of The Stark Collection Agency in Madison, Wisconsin, was fueled by her mantra, “I never give up.” Here’s how she got her start in the accounts receivable management industry, in her own words, reported in the November issue of Collector magazine.
“I grew up in a rural area of Wisconsin called Fond du Lac, on a dairy farm as one of seven kids. Working on the farm taught me problem-solving skills and built my entrepreneurial spirit from a young age.
During high school, I took a certified nursing assistant course at the local technical college and worked as a nurse’s aide. After graduation, I started part-time at the local university extension. I worked as a nurse’s aide until I had enough money to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
I only attended school in Oshkosh briefly because several things happened. My 10-year-old sister was hit by a car and died, and then my 21-year-old brother was in a car accident and died six months later. My parents really needed me at home, not only to help on the farm, but for emotional support.
I happened to be home from work at the time of my sister’s accident and I rode in the ambulance to the hospital with her. The ambulance driver, Jim, remembered me from that tragic night and called me weeks later to ask me on a date. We got engaged before he was drafted in the Vietnam War. When Jim came home, we got married and moved to Milwaukee. I studied part-time at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and worked full-time as a nurse’s aide at St. Luke’s Hospital.
Unfortunately, Jim was involved in a car crash four-and-a-half years after our marriage and passed away. I moved back to Fond du Lac after Jim’s death to be closer to family.
My in-laws and parents pushed me to get involved in another activity besides working and going to school. They encouraged me to volunteer with then- Congressman Thomas Petri’s campaign while I finished my nursing degree.
About two and a half years after Jim died, I met my second husband, Gene Kussart, through my political volunteer work.
After we were married, we lived in Washington, D.C., for nine years. When Gene and I moved back to Wisconsin, I felt an urge to move in a different professional direction. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and when The Stark Collection Agency came up for sale, it checked a lot of the boxes I was looking for in a business venture.
I bought the company, then named The H.E. Stark Agency, in February 1998.
One of the very first things I had to do at the agency was reassure the staff that while I didn’t know the industry, I was willing to put in the time and effort to learn and move the company forward. The purchase allowed me to use the resources available through the company’s ACA International membership.
When you think about it, most agencies are either handed down through generations or an employee buys it from a current owner. How many times does someone from the outside world buy a collection agency? I don’t know that it happens that often.
The Stark Collection Agency is thriving by partnering with telecommunications and financial creditors. I am proud to be able to guide consumers and help my staff learn life and career skills.
I’ve noticed that once you’re in the industry, you stay in it. At least that’s how it is for me. I never give up. When I made the decision to get into this industry, it was for the long haul.
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