Taking a Huge Leap of Faith: Financial Advisor Cindy Jones

If anyone was equipped to quickly climb the corporate ladder, it was Cindy Jones. She started her career in the late 1980s as a CPA and within twenty years, she was leading a financial reporting team for a multi-national oil and gas company. Despite the long hours and overseas travel, she was proud of her professional achievements. And then, an unexpected turn of events in her personal life made her rethink those perceived goals.

2011 was a turning point for Cindy. Her father passed away, and her daughter was in high school. “Losing my dad made me realize that I may have missed some special last visits with him. Moreover, it woke me up to realizing that I only had a year to have my daughter at home, and I should be sharing as much time as possible with her right now.”

Cindy was ready for the change, but uncertain what that meant. She did a full self-assessment – where was she her best self? What were her strongest skills and talents? It soon became clear. Two characteristics resonated – she wanted to interact directly with people and to find solutions for complex situations.

“After my father’s funeral, I started a discussion with one of the pallbearer’s who was my father’s financial advisor and trusted friend. I shared that I was considering going back to school for physical therapy,” said Cindy. Before she knew it, they were talking about why he loved working for Edward Jones and suggested she consider becoming a financial advisor. “It was the most moving experience – he was saying all the things that I was seeking, like ‘Being a financial advisor at Edward Jones allows you to build a business your way and on your terms. You decide how much you want to give it, and you see the rewards directly from your work. Most importantly, you see the satisfaction from helping others solve problems and achieve their goals.’

“That day was a turning point. From there, I started learning as much as I could about financial advising. It didn’t take me long to realize that the Edward Jones business model was unique in their client-centric approach and their supportive firm culture.”

Cindy opened her Edward Jones office in a suburb of Houston, Texas in January 2012, ironically on her dad’s birthday. Ten years later, she is experiencing great success with over $230M in assets under management. No doubt, starting her own practice was hard work, but for her, she was already accustomed to it, and this time more passionately committed.

“The meeting back in 2010 with that Edward Jones Financial Advisor put me on a whole new path, and I’m so grateful. It opened up a whole new world for me. I’ve never been happier both personally and professionally.”

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