Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Edward Jones?
I enjoy talking to people and sharing something anecdotal with them, or when they are telling me something about their kids or their families. We are a business about people, so if you interact with people, no matter the situation, you enjoy it quite a bit. Q: What is it like to work with a Branch Office Administrator (BOA)?
For this position, you are involved in being creative in marketing, and you have the firm's Marketing department to assist you with resources. As you grow your business, your branch office administrator also grows in their position. My BOA is a limited partner with the firm and has been promoted to senior BOA. We have worked together to build the profitability of our branch office to where she qualifies to receive promotions and limited partnership. That makes me feel very good because she came here with me when I started at the bottom, and now she too is reaping the rewards. Q: How does Edward Jones approach diversity?
I believe that Edward Jones understands the sensitivity of diversity and inclusion just like most companies, but what is different about Edward Jones is that they actually "walk the walk" with regard to setting some goals and standards that maybe other companies haven't done before. That is the reason I am still here: They have done everything they can to make me successful. When you think about it that way, it is not about inclusion toward a certain race or gender. It's about making sure everyone who qualifies as a Financial Advisor is successful, because when I am successful, then the firm is successful. I never thought about race or gender as a "success" issue. Each person has his or her own personality and character — what makes a person who he or she is — and likewise it's the same with me. Some people may think that is a hurdle. It is a hurdle only if you want it to be a hurdle. Q: How has the firm addressed trying to attract more diversity?
Inclusion is very important, because the demographics of our client base are changing as we speak. In order to work effectively with our client base, we have to reflect that as a firm. We need to search out good candidates who fit those roles. We have recruited a lot of women to our firm, which just makes sense because 50% of small-business owners are women. Our country has a lot of people of different ethnicities who have wealth or investable dollars. We need to reflect that in our firm. That's a passionate issue that I am constantly supporting, and I see Edward Jones supporting it as well. Q: What do you find most satisfying about your career?
Probably the most satisfaction I get from my career is from helping people. A new client recently asked me what I concentrated on, and I told him, "I concentrate on people and commitment." I didn't have that opportunity in my former job; it was all about transactions and complaints. Now the clients and I are dealing with their real needs, establishing goals for them and helping them to fulfill their goals. That to me is just great. In what other job can you touch lives that way? Q: What are the benefits of living and working in the same community?
That's a big deal. I recently relocated my branch office from another area, and already people are embracing me in the community. They are happy to see that we have a presence here. We have developed a good brand name with regard to how we treat our clients, and because of that it makes me feel good that I am not stuck in some high-rise building. I am glad to be in an area where I have two handicapped parking spaces in front of my building, to make it easier for clients to get into my office. The interesting thing about this business is that you get to work with people at all stages of life — retirees, young couples, some close to retirement — and what has been interesting is that when a client utilizes something that I set up for him or her years ago, I feel like I have done my job. You are working to provide for the client no matter what the circumstances may be, and it makes me work even harder for newer clients to make sure I am doing the same things to help provide for them later in life. Q: Are there any memorable experiences, perhaps with a client, that encapsulate or typify what it's like to work for Edward Jones?
I remember one client specifically. What was neat about it was that I didn't have an office yet when I introduced myself, and she said, "When you open your office, I am going to come see you." Lo and behold, about six months later I had been in my office about two weeks and didn't have any furniture, and she actually came in and started doing business with me. At the time she had little boys, and they are teenagers now. She has referred some really good clients to me. I was glad I met this businessperson, because it gave me some confidence to talk to people. Q: Talk a little about what it's like to build a business.
We live in a technical world in which everything is done by 800 numbers. You get into systems in which you have to hold on the line for quite a while. I think the face-to-face work ethic is probably the most professional thing to do because when people see you, they see your warmth, your concern and your empathy for their issues. You can't see that over the phone. That is probably what I enjoy more than anything else, even though most clients these days come to my office for an appointment. I still like to go to their homes and sit down with them in their living rooms. That is so important because they are in their comfort zone, not mine, and they feel at ease that I am really concerned about their issues. You can't do that over the phone.
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