Q: What’s the most important part of your day as a BOA?
A: For me, it’s managing the Financial Advisor. It’s also managing the clients that come in, just to make sure that the flow of our office maintains consistency throughout our day. For the most part, the most active part of my day is answering the phone and taking care of questions and setting appointments for the Financial Advisor. Paperwork can be a time-consuming part of the day, but it only happens one or two days a week. Q: What is your relationship like with your Financial Advisor?
A: My Financial Advisor and I actually are very lucky. We get along really well. We’re both about the same age, and we’re a little like brother and sister; we fight like brother and sister as well. So when things don’t go well, we get it out. We get along and work very well together. And our clients can see it, our spouses see it, and our family members see it. It’s not uncommon for us to be involved with each other’s family events, too. Q: Do you feel a sense of ownership at your office?
A: I do feel a sense of ownership – it’s always our clients or our office. I like the client interaction a lot and the people. We deal with a lot of older clients, and we see a lot of “aha” moments – whenever the Financial Advisor explains something to them. And when they don’t understand it, we just reiterate over and over the goal of their portfolio with them. I see them when I’m at the park with my dogs, I see them in the grocery store, and I like that they recognize me. It’s fun. It gives you a true sense of community. Q: Can you share any stories?
A: Jerry was a favorite client of ours. Jerry was married for quite some time. Jerry at one point did tell my Financial Advisor that if it weren’t for his BOA, that he wouldn’t have all of Jerry’s assets. When Jerry passed away, his wife told us that he had said if anything ever happened to him, we would take care of her. And we do. Q: What did you do before Edward Jones?
A: I was a bank supervisor. I didn’t particularly like it. The difference is, there are lot more people. You end up playing politics more. The clients were the same, except they didn’t trust you as much. You always knew they were dealing with several banks. They only told you a little bit about themselves, and you didn’t really have the time to develop a relationship with them. At Edward Jones, you know they have other financial advisors, but they’re honest about it. You have more time to develop the relationship and actually get to know them one-on-one. Q: What did you think of the training?
A: The training was a little difficult for me because I’m used to one-on-one personal training from my previous jobs. At Edward Jones, it’s all online. The only person you have to ask questions right away is your Financial Advisor, who may or may not know the answer. So at first, that was a little hard for me to get used to. They do have people you can call at the home office who can walk you through just about anything you need – it’s just a matter of getting used to calling them and counting on them and depending on them. But once you get through the online training modules and get to know other BOAs in your area, it helps a lot with getting your feet wet and getting more comfortable with how to run the office. Q: Finish the sentence: Edward Jones is ...
A: Edward Jones is a large company, but you feel like it’s a small. It’s not uncommon for you to talk to your general partners regularly. I’ve met two of the three managing partners who have managed while I’ve been here. I never met anybody like that at my other firm. My Financial Advisor and I have a partnership, and we both know that. We both promote that among other Financial Advisors. When we train Financial Advisors, we train them to treat their BOA like a partner, not an employee. Q: Do you feel you miss out by not working in a big office building where there’s tons of people around?
A: I prefer to work in a local branch – only because it’s just my Financial Advisor and me. If anything goes wrong in the office, we will take responsibility for it. I drive three miles to work, and I’m in my community all day long. I see my clients everywhere I go. I’m close to my dry cleaner, my grocery store, my bank – and it’s nice. That’s what gives us that small-company feel. The job isn’t for everyone, but for those whom it is, it’s a great opportunity. I have never been in a firm where I’ve been able to do as much as I’ve been able to do with this firm, in such a small amount of time. I’ve been promoted, I’ve been offered limited partnerships, and I’ve been rewarded so many times for just doing my job.
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