An Open Letter from eMoney

We’re having a barbeque in the parking lot of our headquarters later this afternoon.

With food trucks, and cold beverages, and even a competitive egg toss game. As a group—as an eMoney family—we’re hitting the pause button to enjoy each other’s company, recharge our batteries, and have a little fun as we head into the holiday weekend.

It was Edmond’s idea.

Just one of so many ideas that symbolize the spirit and passion with which he founded eMoney and led it to the top of the proverbial podium. Work hard. Play hard. Be great at everything we do.

Today, we begin the next chapter in our story with our hearts a little heavier as we process what the future will hold for our team, the clients we come to work every day to serve, and the partners who we work alongside, without the force that Edmond has been propelling our efforts forward.

Though our resolve is being tested—our will is strong.

Industry journalists yesterday were quick to point out that Edmond was our “visionary”. He was our “biggest cheerleader”.  And our “most effective salesperson”, leaving some to wonder “what will happen to them now?”.

While it’s true, Edmond was all of those things, what he was most and what he inspired all of us to be every minute of every day—is a true champion for the value of a financial advisor. It’s a fervor that defines his makeup; one that we’ll carry on proudly as we continue the legacy he built.

You see—his charisma, confidence, and unrelenting focus on meeting the needs of our advisors and their clients …

His ability to work a room, to ruffle a few feathers, and his unwillingness to settle for anything short of excellence …

His sense of humor. His sense of urgency. And his sense enough to surround himself with a team of people equally as tenacious, yet unmistakably better at something … people with experience and expertise in all of the areas that make up the machine that we are at eMoney, supplementing Edmond’s brilliance with tactical planning, complementing his innovative spirit with practical execution.

These are not simply characteristics of the leader and entrepreneur that we for the past 15 years have followed.  But rather, they represent the values he inspired every employee who has come through eMoney’s doors, to embrace.

They represent the culture he created. They represent the culture we live.  And the culture we’ll keep.

Just a little over a week ago, Edmond addressed the eMoney team at an offsite meeting held at a vintage movie theater nearby. He shared success stories and highlighted our growth and performance so far this year.  He glowed about the bright future we have ahead of us. And ended that day talking about agility.  How we as a company have it. How we must fight to keep it.  How it positions us to be the company other companies want to be.

And you know what?  He was right.

We have a tenured senior leadership team in place—many who have stood by Edmond’s side from the beginning—still unrelenting in their commitment to fulfill eMoney’s mission and serve our clients the way we know best.

We have a team of 320 people who are eager and resolved, hungry to prove to everyone watching—and trust us, there will be many watching—that we rise to a challenge and face adversity head on, with the spirit of someone with something to prove and a bit of a chip on their shoulder.

That we—with Edmond and now without him—are a force to be reckoned with.

So now, because it’s time to head out to our barbeque, our first employee event without the force that he is, to celebrate our past success, and come together as a team united in our quest to continue Edmond’s legacy, we have these final messages to share:

To Edmond—we thank you. For inspiring us to be great at everything we do, every day.  For teaching us how to take chances, how to have fun, and for having faith in not only the product we developed together, but in us the team you have empowered to make your vision a reality.  We won’t let you down.

To our eMoney family – enjoy today. Take this weekend to rest, reflect, and recharge, because when we come back on Tuesday, we’re going to take the industry by storm.

To our clients, each and every one of you – get excited for what’s to come!  Trust us. You’ve always been our first priority and you always will be. We won’t let you down either.

To our competition – Edmond took chances. He was energized by competition and loved a good fight.  We’re coming for you with a fire and urgency like you’ve never seen before.

Most of all, you can trust that, just as Edmond pushed us to be, we’re going to be great at everything we do.

Signed,
The eMoney team, all 320 of us.