Q: How did you end up at Edward Jones?
A: I had an account with Edward Jones for many years, and we had an interest in business. I was working very hard in pro sports, and it was about how much blood they could draw out of me to achieve their success. I saw an opportunity with Edward Jones. This has been a great opportunity. I can’t imagine doing anything different from what I’ve done. Q: Do you have any advice for someone who may want to become a Financial Advisor?
A: I wish I would have started five years earlier, I would have known more, and I would have really sat down and analyzed the situation. I didn’t think I had the right personality at the time, the right tools for the trade. Actually, I think there are any number of personalities that can be successful. But I do believe it’s the person who can point him- or herself in a direction and say, “I will work hard and learn and be a self-starter” – those traits have helped me tremendously. Q: What do you think helped you the most as you’ve developed your career at Edward Jones?
A: I’ve never met an Edward Jones Financial Advisor I didn’t like. They’re talented people. They come with different skills sets, whether it’s a musician or a teacher or a professor or an engineer. There is no one thing I believe that makes a talented Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Many Financial Advisors have careers that were successful in other ways and seek something greater. And that’s what helped me at this firm – there were people who worked in the field and had great success. And I don’t think you can find that at many places. I found it at Edward Jones. Q: Tell me about the Edward Jones business model and how it’s right for you.
A: The Edward Jones model is to have one Financial Advisor with one Branch Office Administrator (BOA) supporting that Financial Advisor at convenient locations in communities. And we actually pick the location that we’re going to be at within that community, so we have some leeway on where we want our office and how we want to design it to some degree. Q: Have you ever thought of going to another firm?
A: I’ve been offered a million dollars to go to other firms. It just doesn’t fit my value system. And this firm is very strong on family. I wouldn’t give that up. My wife, who has a master’s degree in speech pathology, wants to work. But she doesn’t need to and, therefore, she doesn’t now because we have three children and she loves being at home and taking care of them. And Edward Jones has family trips; they support the family in terms of meetings. It’s family first, and I don’t know if that would necessarily be the case in other places.
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