For 10 years my Edward Jones advisor tried to get me to join the Edward Jones family as an advisor. Like many, what I thought of when I thought of a financial advisor was the negative portrayals we see so often on TV and I didn't want to be "that".

So I continued along my path in corporate accounting, moving into a tax specialty and spent many years enjoying the rush of tax season. Providing a service everyone needed, I felt good about what I did. But year after year; I ran into situations where I couldn’t help, where what had been done was unfixable. An individual in their 40's who withdrew $250,000 from an RRSP to purchase a home but had received no warning as to tax consequences. A widowed parent in their 50's who had drained their retirement savings putting 3 kids through university. Parents of a dying child struggling to pay bills and medical costs while trying to spend every precious minute with their child.

In tears after meeting with a grieving widower dealing with a large tax bill due to poor beneficiary planning, I called my Edward Jones advisor and told him I was ready to make a change so I could help people avoid these situations. To help people plan and prepare, educate people so they have the knowledge and confidence to make good financial decisions.

Today, I love what I do. Helping families balance education costs with retirement and emergency planning, helping pre-retirees put the pieces of their retirement plan into one easy to understand picture of what their retirement income looks like, helping business owners develop exit strategies and retirement plans, working with clients to ensure their estate plans are set up to play out the way they envision. I go home every day knowing I made a difference.

I believe every person has a story worth telling and that in listening to another's story we can understand the reasons behind what they do. When we understand a person's why, we can begin to help them. This is my why. I'd love to hear yours.