The year was 1978, and at 36 years old, Gaylord Kauffman was not thinking about cancer. The daily demands of his small business, which had quickly multiplied into four locations, also brought with it the challenges of saving time, money, and resources while finding the right employee benefit solutions. Outside of major medical, he did not know what affordable solutions existed. When an insurance agent stopped by his store to offer Cancer Indemnity through payroll deduction, Gaylord immediately recognized this benefit could easily be offered to his employees at an affordable cost to them. He thought cancer could be a reality for someone in the distant future. Little did he know the future would come one year later when his mother, also an employee, was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live.

Soon after her passing, Gaylord entered the supplemental insurance industry selling cancer and intensive care plans. Over the next 25 years, Gaylord saw the growing diversity of needs, lifestyle, and work style changes and how they would impact brokers, employers, and employees. Because of these changes, brokers wanted more customized solutions. Additionally, with the exponential increase of product offerings, brokers were trusting Gaylord to look into creative, customized, and confident solutions that could meet their needs. It was out of this trust that Essenture Corporation was born.