For Marco Kok, consulting is second nature. He has been translating complex issues into practical solutions since 1996: a talent he inherited from his father, whom he succeeded at KOK Advies in 2002. But Marco didn’t stop at traditional consulting work. In 2024, he and his company joined Blinqx, with an innovative Excel tool that transforms consulting conversations.
In this interview, Marco talks about his entrepreneurial journey: from his biggest misstep to his greatest achievement-a unique insight into his life, as an entrepreneur within the Blinqx family, as well as a human being.
The birth of an Excel expert
Marco’s career began early on with a combination of finance and technology. “I got into the software industry while studying business economics. I then did an internship at Hewlett-Packard in the Business Analyst department. Here the foundation was laid for easily presenting a large amount of numbers in an efficient way.’
Marco took that knowledge with him to his father’s insurance office, which he later took over. His technical background remained a common thread in his work, especially when solving complex financial issues.
‘Our mission was: financial insight within five minutes. By now, that mission has succeeded.’
The power of simplicity
In 2015, Marco began building simple financial insight in Excel that allowed him to convert gross to net income. This allowed him to very quickly and efficiently help clients with their financial situation. ‘This was in fact not possible with the software available in the market. A year later, together with Kees-Jan Evers and Robert-Jan Vugts, the idea came up to build the Excel as a SaaS solution. By doing so, they also wanted to give other advisors the ability to offer quick financial insight to their clients. ‘Our mission was: financial insight within 5 minutes. By now that mission has been accomplished,” Marco tells us.
For Marco, the achievements he has made with his tool are a highlight of his career. ‘Coming up with a concept that is now used by more than 1,000 advisors is my greatest achievement to date. It’s great to see that this has made the threshold for financial insight and advice much lower, so more people are taking action.’ Great achievements also require reflection and balance, a valuable lesson Marco learned from his father.
Taking a break pays off
Although Marco enjoys his work immensely, he regularly searches for the right balance. His father had wisdom for this: “My father had a motto on Friday afternoons at 5 p.m.: ‘We quit, because if you haven’t earned it now, you’ll never succeed.’ He always had a very good work-life balance. For me, the balance often tips toward work, partly because it gives so much pleasure and satisfaction. But I regularly have to think of his motto when I try to rebalance a bit and take time for my family, family, friends and sports.’ The quest for balance is not only of personal importance to Marco, but also a principle that he promotes in his work. The courage to make conscious choices plays a crucial role in this.
“If a customer is not 100% satisfied, they get to decide what is paid for our service. That takes a bit of guts, but it pays off immeasurably”
100% Guts
Marco gets a lot of inspiration from companies that really put the customer first. ‘Coolblue is a good and well-known example of this. But speaker/author Jos Burgers has also helped me and my employees to work in an even more customer-oriented way. That’s where the 100% customer satisfaction guarantee originated at my financial advisory firm. If a customer is not 100% satisfied, they get to decide what is paid for our service. It takes a bit of guts to do that, but it pays off immeasurably – both professionally and personally.
However, it takes guts not only to put customers first, but also to make difficult choices. Marco has learned that even the greatest successes come with valuable lessons. ‘Making a decision to go ahead with a deal when my gut indicated doubt is a mistake I once made as an entrepreneur, but one I learned the most from. These days I want 100% commitment or I won’t do it
Those who do not reflect are left behind
Marco knows how important it is to regularly reflect on the future. ‘One of the most important keys to successful entrepreneurship is making time to think about where you want to go. Marco emphasizes the importance of being open to change: ‘As humans, we don’t always tend to embrace change. But it helps you not only to see great things, but also to be inspired. If you are open to that, you will notice how much easier life and work can become.’
