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LAPLACE — Whether a person dreams of retirement, purchasing a vacation home, or sending a child or grandchild to college, Robert Hymel puts goals in place to help his clients accomplish what’s important to them.

This year, Hymel will celebrate 21 years as a financial advisor for Edward Jones, and he’s had time to think about his own goals in life. As he continues to build his own career, he considers how to put his three children on a path to success. Two of his children, 23-year-old Jared and 20-year-old Ashley, are eager to follow in his footsteps in finance, while his oldest, 26-year-old Brandon, has a bright future as a civil engineer.

“It would be very fulfilling to me to share what we’ve built here with them,” Hymel said.

Hymel’s path in life wasn’t always clear. Prior to joining the Edward Jones team in June 2002, Hymel had graduated with a business degree from LSU and an MBA from Southeastern but still didn’t know what he wanted to do. Mike Hanley, another Edward Jones advisor who continues to operate an office in LaPlace, was the one who nudged him toward a career in finance.

“He was handling accounts for my parents, so when he and I got to be friends, he asked me what I was going to do with my degree. He thought I would be a good fit as an advisor with Edward Jones,” Hymel said. “I bounced around a little bit after that, but I’m always grateful to him because he’s the one who first pointed me in that direction. He saw something in me and had confidence that I could do the job when I wasn’t sure. I’m thankful that he encouraged me to do this because I love it.”

While Hymel’s career started out with stints at various financial institutions, there’s a reason why he decided to make Edward Jones his permanent home.

“I feel the culture is unique at our firm,” Hymel said, citing his experience with the company after Hurricane Katrina as a prime example.

“My income is based upon clients coming in and doing business with me, and I was concerned because with their lives being disrupted, I didn’t know how it was going to impact my ability to earn a living for my family and for how long,” he said. “Edward Jones met with all of us in the metro New Orleans area and reassured us they would guarantee our income at the same rate it was before for as long as necessary until things got back to some degree of normalcy. That was very significant to me. Now I could comfortably help my clients put their houses back together and not have to worry about whether I could pay my bills. I still can’t see myself working anywhere else.”

Hymel found more support from the company after Hurricane Ida devastated the River Region. When his office on Belle Terre Boulevard in LaPlace was closed for repairs from August 2021 to May 2022, Hymel’s team was still able to serve clients by utilizing fellow Edward Jones advisors’ offices in Paulina and Gonzales.

Now back in LaPlace, Hymel said it’s important to him to serve the community from a centralized location.

“I would say 90% of our clients live in the River Parishes, and that’s where we focus our efforts,” he said. “We pride ourselves that clients can come and meet with us face to face. Being in their community enables us to do it versus if they were further away.”

Hymel has always had a presence in the community, especially through St. Joan of Arc and Riverside Academy booster clubs while his children were growing up. He has also served on the board and coached at LARAYO, and his wife operates Hymel’s Florist right next to the Edward Jones office.

It’s been rewarding to get to know members of his community on a deeper level through his work at Edward Jones over the past two decades.

“The most fulfilling feeling for me is putting someone on a path to accomplish their goals and seeing them through,” Hymel said.

To contact Hymel, visit 299 Belle Terre Blvd. Suite 1A or call 985-652-5054.