Aaron Lockhart said his favorite thing about being a financial adviser at Edward Jones Investments, is the ability to help people worry less.

When you can take some worry out of their future just by educating them. And helping his clients make financial planning decisions, it really is a fantastic feeling, he said.

This year, Lockhart moved his family from Roseville to Napa to join his fathers Edward Jones office.

1. What was your first job?

Grocery bagger at the Shasta View Market in Redding.

2. How did you get into this business/industry?

I am the fourth person in my family to serve the Napa community as an Edward Jones financial advisor.

My father, Bill Lockhart, spent years trying to recruit me, but I had a great career in senior management at Penguin Random House.

Its based in New York but they have a small division thats partly based in Roseville called Prima Games. They published books on video games and popular entertainment. I did all the licensing for them for different franchises like Pokmon and Star Wars. I was there for 10 years. It was a really fun job.

My father will retire next year (and) Im taking over for him. I finally accepted my destiny and made the leap.

3. Your cousin, Robert Lockhart, and his father, Bob Lockhart, (since retired) have an Edward Jones office in Napa. Do people ever get you all mixed up?

Sometimes people come into the wrong office but we try to keep everyone going to the right places.

Its the only partnership left on Wall Street. The firm is owned by the employees.

Its a fantastic career. And we saw how my uncle paved the way and we decided to come along. Its worked out nicely for everyone in the family.

5. Whats a common misconception you get about your work?

I think the biggest thing is that people think they need a certain amount of wealth to be able to work with a financial advisor.

We dont work that way. Its never too late to sit down and work out your plan. Theres plenty of help available.

6. If you could change one thing about your business/industry, what would it be?

We need to find more smart, caring and honest people who want to become financial advisors. Far too many people today are not adequately prepared for unexpected events or retirement and they need our help.

7. Whats on your to-do list?

Travel the world with my family, attain spiritual enlightenment and remodel the bathroom.

8. What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime that you havent yet?

Play golf without embarrassing myself.

9. Whats something people might be surprised to know about you?

I spent a semester in college in Costa Rica working as a teacher at an elementary school.

10. What was your childhood ambition?

To get to that phase in my life where I have a virtually unlimited amount of quarters to spend in the video arcade. (Ive since updated my life goals.)

Link:

'Destiny' leads Napan to change careers - Napa Valley Register