Q: What did you do before joining Edward Jones?
A: I’d always wanted to have my own business, and I have spent my career working in different areas of the financial industry to make that happen. My first job out of college was selling insurance, and after about a year I moved to a bank where I became a liability adjustor. I did that for a few years prior to coming to Edward Jones. I was licensed with a New York firm that provided me with an opportunity to make decisions for my clients, so I knew in what capacity I wanted to work. And I didn’t have that chance with my former company. Most recently, I spent two years as a Financial Advisor with a large financial services company. Q: What have you discovered about the way business is done?
A: Networking is the No. 1 way I do my business. That includes both personal and professional networking and referral relationships. Q: After graduating from college, what career hurdles did you have to overcome?
A: I think for somebody right out of college, it’s definitely difficult. Having little or no actual experience is never easy. At that age, you may not be aware of the impact of your work. Odds are you’ve never really thought about what retirement or saving means; it can be hard to get people to take you seriously. I was still naïve coming out of college. I didn’t know or understand what I had to do to get where I wanted to be. Q: What were your goals at that time?
A: I wanted to do business with millionaires and billionaires, but I didn’t know how to make a business grow. You have to earn the respect of the people you’re talking to. And somebody coming right out of school really has to be very knowledgeable on finances and investments to really show you’re capable. There are some very capable people coming out of college. They’re probably the ones that are going to be the most successful because they got that early start. They learned their lessons early on. Q: What hardships did you face getting to this point in your career?
A: It’s difficult understanding what you’re getting into when you’ve never had a commission job. To be young and have no base paycheck coming in is not easy. I always wanted to have my own business, but I didn’t have the foresight right out of college to make it happen. I didn’t see the big picture. That’s one of the things I saw in the insurance business – selling insurance gave me the opportunity to work with something tangible. Had I known about Edward Jones when I graduated, the opportunity would have been attractive, but I don’t know if I would have been ready for it. I was under the impression for a while that I didn’t have the credibility necessary to be successful. But when I talk to my peers and I hear some of the stories they went through and the early struggles they faced, I’m happy where I am, and I’m happy about the decisions I made throughout my career. Q: What are your feelings about the Edward Jones business model?
A: It’s sensible and balanced. The model really stresses diversification, spreading out your risk and buying quality products. It’s easy to convey to a client, and I thoroughly trust our research and approach. Q: When you’re discussing goals and options with a potential client, what factors do you focus your efforts on?
A: What I focus on when I’m talking to a potential client or someone I represent is what it takes to generate revenue. That’s our responsibility, and we do everything we can to make that happen. Q: When you wake up in the morning, what thoughts go through your head?
A: Every day brings an opportunity to help formulate a client’s savings. It gives you an opportunity to meet potential clients and make potential referrals. But what all of those things boil down to are relationships. How many relationships can you create? Can you sustain them to build your business? That’s what I try to figure out every day I work for Edward Jones: how to build more relationships, how to help our clients gain greater financial stability, and how to make my business stronger. Q: At this stage, what does your career with Edward Jones mean to you?
A: To me, it’s about being excited. I’ve found something I can succeed at, where I can make very good money, where I can be my own boss, where I can take great vacations and hopefully become a partner in the business. So I finally feel like I’m part of something, and I feel that I’ve been very blessed. I’ve got a great family. I feel like I have a career where I can grow that experience with my family and in some sense increase my sense of worth within my community.
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