Using her Voice to Advocate for Change and Find Purpose with Binita Kraus

Development at Edward Jones means so much more than climbing the corporate ladder.

Just ask Binita Kraus about her path to becoming a senior BOA in Andy Boles’ Madison, NJ, branch.

She and Andy earned their CFP credentials together. Soon after, Binita took an 18-year hiatus from financial services to be a stay-at-home mom.

“Fast forward eight years later, I’m at a school play and Andy Boles is there. He shares with me how he’s at Edward Jones and his career is doing well,” Binita recalls. “About a year later, he reached out to me about a Goodknight.”

Named after a legendary Edward Jones financial advisor, Jim Goodknight, the Goodknight program incentivizes veteran financial advisors to transition client assets to new financial advisors — freeing up their capacity to serve clients while setting up new financial advisors for success.

Binita wasn’t ready to accept Andy’s offer at the time. But about seven years ago, she reached out to her old classmate. She told Andy that although she had maintained her CFP credentials, she wasn’t interested in joining the firm as a financial advisor. Then she asked, “Does Edward Jones offer any other opportunities for somebody like me?”

That’s when Andy shared with Binita how she could use her experience to help a new financial advisor build their business from the ground up — as a branch office administrator (BOA).

“Coming back after 18 years of not being in the workforce was terrifying,” says Binita. “I think I underestimated my capabilities because I had been a stay-at-home mom, a Girl Scout troop leader and a softball coach.”

Binita was very successful in helping the new financial advisor grow his practice and, within the year, was presented another opportunity: Andy’s BOA of 20 years was retiring. Andy was a regional leader running a highly profitable branch, and Binita was ready for a new challenge — so she joined Andy’s branch as a BOA.

Knowing that she had “the capacity and the capability” to do more than the required BOA administrative duties, Binita began looking for other opportunities within Edward Jones to “make me feel engaged and motivated.”

Andy was fully onboard.

The first opportunity was an invitation from her area leader to be the only BOA from the tristate area to attend the Catalyst Awards, a conference in New York City that recognizes organizational initiatives driving representation and inclusion for women.

“This springboarded my development at Edward Jones,” says Binita. “When you’re ‘voluntold’ to do something, you reflect on the fact that this person just tapped you on the shoulder. It makes you ask yourself, what are they seeing in me that I don’t see in myself?”

Sitting at a roundtable discussion with Managing Partner Penny Pennington and other senior leaders at the Catalyst Awards was the confidence boost Binita needed.

“I was just ignited,” she recalls. “I came back from that event and said, ‘This is it. I have a voice, and I’m going to use it.”

Binita used her voice to advocate for the BOA role and for a more diverse and inclusive workplace — which supports Edward Jones’ commitment to creating a place of belonging for all. She spoke at firm conferences, participated on task forces and committees, and became a champion for BOAs in her region and throughout the firm.

“To make a very long story short, through all of these opportunities, I’ve always said to myself, ‘What’s the next step of my development?’ And Edward Jones has always stepped up by giving it.”

At this stage in her career, Binita says she is not interested in advancing beyond her role as a senior BOA, “but I still feel incredibly purposeful and quite impactful.”

“I’m still driving change, making change, speaking, getting tapped on the shoulder to present at events.”

Reflecting on her own career journey, Binita says, “I don’t think you need to be a certain cookie-cutter person to work here.”

“I was very fortunate to find the right place in Edward Jones and then I used the resources that Edward Jones offered me to progress to where I am today. This job can be a springboard to so much more.”