Q: What did you do prior to coming to Edward Jones?
A: I was a broker with a community bank in Seattle. Q: And how long were you with the bank?
A: I was there about six years before coming to Edward Jones. Q: What kind of support did you receive?
A: The support that I received was amazing. Because I knew so many other brokers who had made the transfer, I had a lot of brokers in my region who were there to support me. And my mentor was amazing. Edward Jones provides you all the tools and training you need to get your office up and running right away. And also, I had an individual who was knowledgeable about efficiency who came in and helped my branch office administrator (BOA) and me get the office up and going, and taught us all the things we needed to do to start getting clients transferred over and placing trades right away. Q: What do you think of the compensation plan at Edward Jones?
A: Edward Jones’ compensation plan is very simple and clear. There are the other aspects of the compensation besides the commission – the trips and bonuses, and the ability and opportunity to make partner, which don’t exist in a banking environment. Q: Talk a little about the Edward Jones culture.
A: The Edward Jones culture has a lot to do with why I came here from the bank. No. 1, there’s a real sense of family, and I really love that. I’ve experienced it in many different ways. When my father passed away, I received so much incredible support and love from my region. I really had this true sense of my Edward Jones family as a result of that. And the other aspect of the culture has to do with the way we work with clients and how important it is. It’s the mantra at Edward Jones that you always do what’s best for the client and build relationships with the client, so a really important part of the culture that I love is the relationship building, not only with clients but also with Edward Jones associates. And I love the way Edward Jones supports families. They don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk when it comes to supporting the Financial Advisors and making sure it’s really a family-oriented company. Q: What is it like to work with a BOA?
A: It’s definitely a different experience. At the bank, we were able to have an assistant, but sometimes it was only part time or for two days a week. And your assistant actually wasn’t involved in your day-to-day operation; he or she was at a downtown office and handled some of your paperwork. Having a BOA, especially one as great as mine, is wonderful. She’s always winning BOA of the month, and she’s honestly my right hand. Q: What is it like to build an Edward Jones branch?
A: Building a business with Edward Jones, having your own office and your own branch and BOA, the clients have much more privacy when they come into your office. In the bank, you’re sitting there, and anybody can listen to what’s going on. And there’s a real sense of satisfaction for me because I’ve built relationships, and these relationships are ongoing. Many clients are very good friends now. Q: How did you feel about making first contacts?
A: It is one aspect of building your business, and that’s the beauty of working with Edward Jones. You can decide how you want to build your business. I didn’t build my business on making first contacts. I built my business on referrals. I built my business on working within the various communities. I built my business on doing a lot of workshops as a transfer broker. So it’s not mandatory that you go door-to-door; it’s just another way of building your business. Q: Can you talk a little about the spirit of volunteerism at Edward Jones? How have you been involved?
A: Edward Jones has the EDGE program, and I’m one of its mentors. It’s designed to provide mentorship for females and minorities, particularly African-American and Hispanic minorities in the country. I’ve had a lot of wonderful conversations with African-American females from all over the country and had an opportunity to do some mentoring with them. I think that just says a lot about the firm – that they recognize this is an issue and they’re willing to do something about it rather than just stick their head in the sand like I think so many other companies do. Q: Edward Jones puts a lot of emphasis on work-life balance. How has that impacted you?
A: One of the reasons I love having my own office and being at Edward Jones is that I think it’s great for working mothers. It’s always hard balancing a career and raising a family, particularly in corporate America. Corporate America responds better if you call in with a broken-down car than if you have a sick child. And it’s really great to be able to be your own boss and call the shots; if my daughter was sick, I could call in and my BOA would reschedule my appointments. I can always come in on Saturday to make up for that time or spend a couple of extra hours during the next few weeks. It’s great having that flexibility.
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