Father and SonBecause we are part of a team, I (Jordan) wanted to give some insight into what makes Dad tick -- his background in the industry, and the experience he brings to our team.
Family Values and the Career of Jerry Taylor
Armed with an MBA from the University of Tulsa, Jerry (Dad) began searching for a job in 1986. He envisioned working for a bank, but life took him on a slightly different path that led him to create J. Taylor Private Wealth Management. It’s fitting that his decision to work for Dean Witter in financial investment management was driven by the fact I was on the way.
Dean Witter offered better pay and health insurance. Jerry accepted their offer to meet the needs of this growing family. As a result, an incredible career in financial investment management was born.
Fast-forward 35 years to the present day, where Dad & I started our own wealth management firm.
Surviving and Thriving in Personal Financial Investment Management
Of the 125 fellow trainees that started with Jerry at Dean Witter in 1986, he was one of three still in the industry 10 years later. A commission-based career in a turbulent industry is not for the faint of heart. However, Jerry not only survived but thrived in the financial investment management sector.
How did he do it? Jerry is humble as he tells the story, but clearly he had the good sense to see opportunities where others did not. At the time, Dean Witter was owned by Sears, and they had locations inside the stores. You could chat with a financial advisor from Dean Witter after purchasing a washing machine.
Many of his peers passed up the chance to work in the stores, but Jerry saw the opportunity in having clients come to him rather than making cold calls.
His friendly, laid-back Tulsa personality was perfect for this role. People responded positively and he built relationships from a booth at Sears in the late 1980s that endure to this day. Second generations of clients from those days still rely on him to manage their personal financial investment portfolios.
A Career and Business Built on Family Values
A conversation with Jerry about his career reveals what is most important to him: family. Jerry’s career path led him to a position at USB Financial Services. I joined him there to start my own career 13 years ago. Our father-and-son team worked well enough that we ventured out to start own firm, J. Taylor Private Wealth Management.
When asked about what it’s like to work with me, Dad replies, “The trust element is by far the best.”
That trust extends to the relationships we build with clients through generations of families. Jerry attributes his success to treating clients as he views them - like family. He grows close enough to them that one of the difficulties he mentions in his role is dealing with their passing. However, in the next breath, he explains how much he enjoys working with the sons and daughters of those clients as he continues managing the family’s financial investments.
Jerry’s values are reflected when asked how he wants J.Taylor Private Wealth Management to be viewed in the clients’ eyes. “I hope they say we are honest and reliable.”