Q: Where did you go to school and what brought you to Edward Jones?
A: There was a local Edward Jones veteran two blocks from our college campus, and he did an on-campus interview. And after talking a little bit about Edward Jones, they offered me a position in St. Louis, Missouri, which is where I started my career with Edward Jones in June of 2001. Q: What was it about Edward Jones that seemed to be different than those other places?
A: The biggest thing for me was the autonomy, the ability to run my own business. I had explored several different business ventures which I couldn't afford to do, being a student with student loans. The whole Edward Jones philosophy, the culture, the ideals and the values of Edward Jones really just stuck out to me. Q: Talk a little about the opportunity.
A: The veteran that introduced me to Edward Jones had a lot of the similar background and things that I had growing up in his childhood, coming from a humble background. Then I got to compare that with what he had done, the business that he built, the life that he built for his family, the experiences that he had in his 30 plus years with Edward Jones really just related well to me. Q: Can you tell us a little about the Practical Application of Solutions and Service (PASS) Program?
A: The biggest benefit to the PASS program is the additional business development and investment knowledge that you receive while you're there. You receive hands-on training that you cannot receive from any other financial services company. It's a small program that's designed specifically to prepare somebody to move out into the field and take over an existing office that's already built and established. So instead of learning as you go, your knowledge is built up to a level that's sufficient in terms of retirement planning and investment knowledge, so that when you hit the ground, essentially, you hit the ground running and you have a head start on any of your peers. Q: How important is it to feel like you are running a business?
A: The single most attractive thing about Edward Jones is the autonomy and the ability to run your a business. I hear that over and over again from my peers. And to put it in the words of a general partner, we're not entrepreneurs, we're intrapreneurs. We buy into a system and we run a business and we build the business from scratch. Q: How is it possible to be on your own with such limited experience?
A: Although you're in your own office and you have complete autonomy, they don't leave you out there stranded. You have a support system in place and a recipe to follow which is, I believe, the best in the business. Communication is very, very important and a key aspect to our business. We communicate through a number of different ways – broadcasts, specific messages from our managing partner, a Jones Link system that's internal that we have immediate access, a video system that allows us to view training broadcasts and continue to keep up to speed. Q: What about working at Edward Jones brings you the most satisfaction?
A: The neat thing about Edward Jones is something that we call the spirit of volunteerism. I have numerous leadership roles in my region. I started out as a mentor. Also graduated on to a Field Trainer, in which we train new Financial Advisors. I'm the New Financial Advisor Support Specialist which means that I work with all the new Financial Advisors who have been out for a year or less and just work on making sure that they're doing the right activities and making sure that they have somebody to lean on for advice. I wouldn't be where I am at if it wasn't for all of the people that I’ve come in contact with throughout my career with Edward Jones. So now it's my turn to volunteer my time to give back to the firm and to give back to the new Financial Advisors so that they have the same opportunities that I did. Q: Is it important to you to be a vital part of your community?
A: The community is so important, because eventually that's where my kids will grow up and I run a business in that community. We give a lot of money on an annual basis just in the form of donations. We support a lot of local charities; participate in a lot of local events. But for me, the biggest thing in the community has been coaching the boys' high school hockey team, just to be able to give back. There aren’t very many people in a community that have the flexibility in their schedule and with their job and their career to give back in the community the way that Edward Jones does. Q: What did you think when you first found out you’d be knocking on people’s doors?
A: I was never excited about door knocking, but I found that doing it was actually enjoyable. It was actually enjoyable to go out and meet people that you ordinarily would never have the chance to meet. It sounds kind of funny, but I can remember numerous face to face contacts in the freezing cold, snowy winters up in Minnesota, where people invited me into their house and offered me coffee and cookies and told me stories about their lives and it is truly a phenomenal experience Q: How are you supported technologically? Any challenges?
A: I think the technology at Edward Jones is state-of-the-art. For what I need to use on a daily basis, the technology is fantastic. We received a financial assessment software program that's very beneficial in working with clients on day-to-day interactions and helping them to plan for their financial future. Q: What traits do you think are necessary to be successful as a financial advisor at Edward Jones?
A: You have to be a good communicator. You also have to want to educate people because on a daily basis you are educating people on what opportunities are out there for them that they may not be aware of, had they not met you. Plus you have to be confident in order to be successful at this business.
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