Thank You, Mothers. TrueNorth Wouldn’t Be Who We Are Without You.

In honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to honor one of the women who inspired everything we do.

You may not know this, but Bryan Vowels, Founding Partner and CEO of TrueNorth, knows a local legend. His mother, JoAnn Vowels was the second female financial advisor in the Joplin area. She would go on to set the precedent for how to build trust with clients for generations. She didn’t chase sale records. She chased something more meaningful: relationships and service rooted in faith and care. 

She had an approach that inspired her family and community to pursue meaningful lives

This is her story, through the eyes of her son, Bryan.

The Beginning of a Legacy

“My mother was a pioneer. She was one of the first female financial advisors in our area and one of a small percentage of women financial advisors in the industry when she started in the 1970s.”

JoAnn Vowels started in the investment industry at a St. Louis firm called Reinholdt Gardner. Their office was located downtown across the street from the old Connor Hotel, a historic structure locals will recall for its elegance.

“Mom started as a secretary updating the handwritten manual board with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and popular stock prices at least once a day. She moved on from her first role to be a client associate, head of operations, and then, in the late 1970s, the second female financial advisor in the Joplin area.”

After Shearson Lehman bought Reinholdt in the early 1980s, JoAnn and a few advisors left to start the St. Louis-based firm A.G. Edwards in Joplin. Here, she discovered her true career home. In an industry that was focused on production or how much you could sell, A.G. Edwards was different. Mr. Ben Edwards had a motto for the company: At Edwards, we follow the golden rule in our decision-making.

The Golden Rule Meets Golden Treatment

JoAnn was never a top broker according to the Wall Street Standard of high sales volume. But at A.G. Edwards, she stood out as a rock star to her clients. JoAnn always went above and beyond to serve them. It was how she was wired and how she lived out her faith.

“People who worked with her have told me countless stories. Stories about how she would read mail to clients who struggled seeing, helped clients pay their bills, took clients to their doctors’ appointments, crazy things like that just to be in the moment and listen to their needs. She saw clients not as a sales opportunity but as human beings whom she could help.”

Bryan Vowels cherishes the opportunity he had to work alongside his mother for the last three years of her career.

“I saw her servant’s heart firsthand and how her focus was on her relationships. She truly loved the industry for how it can help people and their families for generations to come. Her faith, her desire to help others, and the love of the challenge of the investment world all led her to be one of the very best financial advisors I have ever met. She set a high standard for me and our firm to live up to every day.”

Give Mom Her Flowers, Today and Every Day

Mother’s Day is a special time to celebrate our moms and their influence on our lives. Never pass on an opportunity to say thank you.

“Mom, let me say thank you for raising myself and my sisters with a strong faith and for inspiring me to take up the noble calling of helping others with their money.  We hope to make you proud and build upon the legacy you started in serving others.”

Thank you to all the mothers that have inspired us, taught us and loved us. We love you all very much and hope that you feel appreciated for all that you give.