Q: How did you hear about the Edward Jones opportunity?
A: When I was with an insurance brokerage, I found the only challenge was trying to get it all done in a 60-hour workweek. A friend of mine who was in this business said he thought I would be good at it. When I was at the other firm, I didn’t really think the competition should be the other advisors in my office; it should be the Financial Advisors at other firms. And when Edward Jones called me, I was very excited. Q: What are the benefits of working for a partnership?
A: When my area leader called to welcome me into the limited partnership family, I was honoured and astounded. Even though I knew it might be coming, it’s still awe-inspiring. My mother’s in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s, but that was the first thing I wanted to do after calling my husband — try to explain to my mom what had just happened. Q: How smooth was your transition to Edward Jones?
A: When I left the bank-owned investment firm, a number of my clients followed me, including my very first client there. She has since passed away, but all her children have since become my clients. I worried about the transition for clients, but Edward Jones made it very easy. Q: What about the Edward Jones opportunity appealed to you?
A: It's unbelievable the first day when you walk into your own Edward Jones office. And, yes, I had an office at my last firm, but it didn’t feel like mine. This one has my name on the door. I’m making decisions about it. I’m choosing the color of the blinds and the position of my desk. You just feel such a surge of responsibility, ownership and potential. Q: What part of the training was the most helpful?
A: At Edward Jones, the training is continual. We have a number of resources: broadcasts, regional meetings that deliver more and more information, newsletters, et cetera. But I think one of the most meaningful things is to provide at different levels in our business the opportunity to come in for another week’s training; in fact, our branch office administrators are welcomed into that training now, as well. I have found those sessions always inspiring and sometimes really capable of catapulting your business. I remember when I moved to the $33,000-a-month level. That week’s session changed my whole life — and my husband’s life, as well, because I wanted to help him retire by 2010 if he chose to. My business grew 50% in that year. The training was certainly a part of it. Q: How does technology at Edward Jones help you grow your business?
A: When I was making the switch to Edward Jones, I was a little concerned about the systems we would be using and if it would be difficult for me to conduct my business. I was delighted to find that in fact our training system was identical to the one I had been using. And on top of that, we’ve had the advantage of satellite broadcasts with live question-and-answer periods for our clients. There have been so many technological developments along the nine years that I’ve been with Edward Jones, and it keeps changing all the time. Clients are amazed at how often my computer system changes and they see us moving forward. Edward Jones is keeping up and working hard at what we want. Q: What qualities do you think a person needs to thrive as a Financial Advisor?
A: If you’re considering a career as a Financial Advisor, the most crucial thing you need to think about is whether you like people. You also need to be self-disciplined. When I started in this career, I heard that you work like nobody else for the first two years and then you live like the very few for the rest of your life. And that turns out to be true in a number of ways. So you need to be able to work hard, be self-disciplined and ultimately sincerely care about the client in front of you, and your business will take care of itself. Q: Are there any memorable experiences that encapsulate or typify what it's like to work for Edward Jones?
A: The most challenging day in my career has been Sept. 11, 2001: watching the world unfolding and worrying about what’s happening to the client’s money, what’s happening in the world and what’s going to happen in your personal life. It was terrifying. But it helped to know that we had our Edward Jones family and we weren’t alone in trying to figure this out. We Canadians felt a very strong bond with our American counterparts. We would have felt like an outsider watching the world, but because we were Edward Jones, we felt like this was happening to our family. It was very moving. Q: What one thing would you tell someone considering the Edward Jones opportunity?
A: For a woman, a career as a Financial Advisor may seem counterintuitive, particularly if you are a mom, because in this career you’re going to work like nobody else for the first two years. And even afterward, you’re going to work some evenings and Saturday mornings. You are very involved in your business. But it also allows the flexibility to go to the school play and take time off. My children are in university now, and I know that when I go to a regional meeting, I can say to my children, "I will be in town, and I’m happy to take you to dinner or take you shopping." I'm able to take that time off with nobody asking me where I’m going or what I’m doing. If I needed to be home with my children because they were ill, as a Financial Advisor I could make that choice and still run my business with the help of my branch office administrator. On top of that, it gives women one of the best opportunities to earn money. There is no glass ceiling. Some of the top Canadian advisors in the firm are from my region, and they’re women. I’ve seen one female regional leader become a brand-new mom and have her second child while having a very successful career. This is awe-inspiring to any woman. After my father passed away, my mother came to live with us. I could go home to help her out and help maintain her life while running my business. It’s a wonderful career for someone who wants to be paid what she's worth and still give back. Q: Describe what the Edward Jones culture means to you.
A: I believe Edward Jones has a very unique culture, and I’ve experienced it personally. I had been with Edward Jones for only about six months when my father fell ill. My parents lived about four hours away at the time. I remember calling up our head office at 5 o'clock on a Thursday evening to say, "I need to go home and take care of my dad till the end. I don’t know if it’s going to be days, weeks or months. What can you do to help me take care of clients?" And within 20 minutes they called back to say there was an empty office in the town I was going to. There was a laptop and a printer on its way, but the most important thing was for me to take care of my dad — they would take care of the rest. I was with my father for a month, and that was a huge gift. I'm well aware that if I had been with my previous employer, I maybe would have had to quit. Another benefit is that, while you’re in your own office with your branch office administrator, you are constantly connected to everyone else globally. I have a number of other Financial Advisors that I will call, and we’re in fairly constant contact. We have regional meetings. We get together socially. And I know that if one of my kids or my husband is in some strange city and has a problem, they can go to any Edward Jones office, and it’s like family. They’re going to be taken care of. Q: Are there any memorable experiences, perhaps with a client, that encapsulate or typify what it's like to work for Edward Jones?
A: Every day at Edward Jones, my life is filled with wonderful moments with clients. One older gentleman — a priest — has been investing for years, and he says he’s never had such personal service as he’s gotten through me at Edward Jones. And my very first client — when she passed away, I went to the funeral. All of her children immediately knew who I was, and they were saying, "Oh, Mom just loved you." I was honoured and grieving at the same time, because I really enjoyed this woman’s company. The day after the funeral, they came into my office, and she had left it to me to tell them she had all this money. They really had no idea. Her children were able to pass assets over without having to sell them via statements. So to know that I honoured her by being able to follow up on our investment strategy was wonderful. Q: When did you realize you had made the right decision for you in coming to Edward Jones?
A: I realized that I was in the right place fairly quickly in my career at Edward Jones. When my father took ill, Edward Jones made it possible for me to be with him until he passed away. Clearly, Edward Jones puts its family values right up at the top. Most firms will tell you they are family-oriented, but Edward Jones put the proof in the pudding. And similarly, a couple of years later I was in charge of barbecues and spirit at a regional meeting. My husband was golfing with other Edward Jones Financial Advisors, and my kids wanted to go to the beach. As I was walking through the hotel lobby with a bunch of balloons for the barbecue, my kids came up to ask me how long I was going to be because they were too young to kayak alone. The firm's head of Canadian operations, Gary Reamey, was walking through the lobby at the same time, and he stopped and asked, "How long are you guys going to be down at the beach?" My daughter said, "A couple of hours." And he said, "Well, Nancy, you take care of things. I’ll go to the beach with your kids." And to this day my kids remember that. Gary Reamey is just Gary, whereas when I worked at the other firm, nobody knew who I was. Whenever he sees me, Gary asks how things are going. That’s the difference this firm makes. Q: Describe the support you've received since coming to Edward Jones.
A: When I started with Edward Jones, it was wonderful that all the people at the head office were available to help me learn the new systems and give me all the support I needed in learning the Edward Jones way of doing things. Whether they're in Calgary, down the street or anywhere else in the world, I can call them up, and they will help me out. Q: How have you benefited from the five points of financial advantage?
A: Before I left the bank-owned firm, they had begun a grid system where your business for the month determined your payout. It became very difficult to determine how well you would do. At Edward Jones, whether you’re just starting out from dollar one on your commission to the sky’s the limit, you get the same payout. On top of that, we have a number of other opportunities that I believe make us better paid than those at other firms, including diversification trips, profitability bonuses, a deferred profit-sharing plan, a benefit plan and potential limited partnership opportunities. Q: Detail an incredible diversification trip that you would never have considered had it not been for that benefit.
A: When I worked for the bank-owned investment firm, the top 50 got to take a spectacular trip. And I felt as a mom that the chances of me making it to that level anytime soon were a pie-in-the-sky dream. At Edward Jones, you earn a trip by taking care of clients and doing what’s best for them. And when you reach that level and get to go on a diversification trip, it’s just magical. I know that I myself earned that trip; I’m not taking it out of anyone else’s hands. Every trip is memorable, but for our 20th anniversary, we went to Mexico to a Four Seasons Resort, and we would have never allowed ourselves to spend the money. My husband is an accountant, so he’s rather thrifty. Another memorable trip was to Costa Rica. I would never have thought of going there, but it was just a magical place. Q: How did your move to Edward Jones impact your clients?
A: I really enjoy working and living in the same small town. You get to know people. They’re part of your everyday lives. And clients like coming to an office that’s just down the street as opposed to having to go into a city. So it’s been a wonderful way to build a business with my children in high school across the street and my husband working at the back of the building. Q: What do you enjoy about the Edward Jones opportunity?
A: Edward Jones gives you the opportunity to provide some leadership as well as take care of clients. I get great joy out of helping newer Financial Advisors in their careers. I remember one young Financial Advisor whom I helped with a business consultation a couple of years ago, to help him take his business to a new level. He just thinks I’m his golden girl now because whenever he needs a bit of a boost, he gives me a call or I spend the day with him, and he has the best month ever. That’s really his magic, not mine — but it’s a wonderful synergy, and it’s great to feel you’re a part of it. Q: What opportunities does Edward Jones offer in Canada?
A: I think Edward Jones has unique opportunities within Canada because the firm likes to be in the small towns and in your neighborhood for clients. Canadians are used to having to go to the big cities for everything, so that’s one unique opportunity. As well, a lot of our Canadian clients like to travel to Florida and Arizona, and they enjoy seeing the Edward Jones name there and knowing they’re part of a bigger brand. Q: How does Edward Jones differ from other financial services firms?
A: You can be a Financial Advisor at a lot of places. But at Edward Jones, not only do you not have to sell any proprietary products — so you and the clients know you are acting in their best interests — but you also have the opportunity to build your business and become a partner in something bigger. And that is absolutely unique and not to be dismissed. Q: Describe a good day of work at Edward Jones.
A: There have been so many good days. Oddly, losing a client, and yet knowing that her family trusted and valued me, was an important day. It feels really good to hear someone say, "I’m very happy with my own advisor, but my wife is devoted to you and she’s not going to move, so I’ll move my business to you," when the wife’s been telling me all along that her husband will never move. These are just affirmations that you’re doing the right thing, and it feels wonderful. Q: Any final thoughts?
A: Edward Jones as a firm has the integrity, ethics and values that you have personally, and when you can work for a place that can match those things, it’s a wonderful feeling and a tremendous recipe for success.
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