JODY COENJARTS, Senior Financial Advisor, Coenjarts Wealth Advisory Group, Raymond James, Calgary
JODY COENJARTS
"Making it personal – a customized approach to investing"
As a young boy growing up in Sarnia, Ontario, Jody Coenjarts was fascinated with the oil and gas industry. His interest was piqued through visits to the oil museum in nearby Petrolia, home to North America’s first producing oil well, and trips to see family out west in Alberta, where pumpjacks and oil wells continued to capture his attention.
It makes sense that, years later, Jody would move to Calgary, the heart of the oil and gas industry, where he’s a Senior Financial Advisor at Raymond James. He’s been with the firm his entire two-decade career, serving clients who are, for the most part, professionals involved in the oil and gas industry.
It sounds like he followed a fairly straightforward path, but it included a few twists and turns. Jody comes from a family of plumbers. His dad owns a plumbing company, and both brothers are plumbers. So he could have followed them into the trade. He also had an early passion for cooking, having worked in restaurants while studying Economics at the University of Western Ontario.
“I moved to Calgary thinking the financial industry would be a means to an end to own restaurants and I’d become a chef,” says Jody. Instead, it was finance that was the end – or, more accurately, the beginning – of a long and rewarding career.
Managing wealth in the midst of volatility
With more than 20 years’ experience in both finance and serving oil and gas professionals, Jody has gained an understanding of energy commodities and market volatility that one can only attain by having a front row seat to the ups and downs of the energy market.
“When I became a Financial Advisor in 2005, in ‘06, ‘07, and ‘08, things were wonderful,” says Jody. “You could throw a dart and make money. After 2008, there were very large corrections and a lack of spending in the space, and that taught me a lot of hard lessons in the financial industry. It’s really given me a broader horizon and understanding of risk as well as how to manage wealth in different fashions than I did in 2005, ‘06 and ‘07.”
Jody’s approach is to create a cash flow structure for his clients. It’s a strategy he’s learned from years of dealing with volatile markets.
“Today’s world is more volatile than I’ve ever experienced,” he says. “Having more experience is of the utmost importance. So is understanding that owning quality assets is key to running a successful business. So as opposed to bitcoin, I like hard assets. Just like any business requires a healthy cash flow, I structure my portfolios in such a way that they are maximizing cash flows.”
Jody builds personalized portfolios with underlying options strategies that create income opportunities that match the unique needs of individual clients. It’s what distinguishes him from other wealth managers.
“A lot of people have their models, and I have mine,” he says. “But I like the more personalized touch and approach. We cater to the needs of clients.”
It’s all about helping people
Building portfolios so clients can live off their income streams and not reduce their principle is something Jody finds truly rewarding. What it all comes down to, though, is helping people. He’s been helping clients navigate the highs and lows of the volatile market throughout his career, and now, he’s also helping their children.
“It's very important that if something were to happen to the parents that the children know who I am and call me in case of accidents, catastrophes, or illnesses. These can happen, so building that rapport with the kids, the children, and the overall family is really important to me.”
Jody also strives to educate younger people about finances, something many don’t have a clear understanding of.
“I pride myself on helping the next generation, helping them buy their first home and showing how to use different government supports that aren’t taught in school, like RRSPs, TFSAs, and even mortgages.”
Another source of pride is his long-standing career at Raymond James.
“Being at this great organization is truly rewarding,” he says. “It’s being employed at one of the top wealth management firms for more than 20 years and being able to grow personally and in my business. Over the years, I’ve been able to make great friends and work alongside great people.”
Giving back to the community
One of the most important things he’s learned in his years in the finance industry, says Jody, is the importance of giving back. And at Raymond James, where serving the community is part of its culture, Jody has many opportunities to join colleagues and clients in volunteering and fundraising for a variety of causes around Calgary. That includes helping out at the local drop-in center and making brown bag lunches for kids who are less fortunate. He’ also hosted a dinner for a local school that teaches kids with autism – a fundraiser that saw Raymond James match donations.
He’s also been active with the Rotary Club and uses the experience to teach his two daughters about helping others.
“We sponsored a family or two at Christmas time,” he says. “I would take our daughters and buy the presents and spend some money on the family. We would go to the house and drop off the presents to those families. It was one of the coolest days, showing my own daughters the importance of giving.”
His daughters, nine and 13, along with his wife, who he’s been married to for 14 years, are Jody’s number one priority. The family spends as much time as possible together, walking their two dogs, and traveling to the mountains to camp and hike in the summer and ski in the winter.
“The mountains are my happy place,” says Jody.
“Doing what makes me happy”
When Jody looks to the future, he does so with optimism, especially when it comes to his adopted city of Calgary.
“Light is coming back to the city, and that gets me excited,” says Jody. “It gives me a spark to get out there and help people as I watch the city coming back to life. I love it when people are becoming more successful in their careers and paths. The importance of oil and gas isn't going away and, being in the heart of oil country in Canada shows that we're back.”
As for Jody’s own practice, he’s going to keep on doing what he’s doing. And why wouldn’t he?
“To be successful you have to have happiness first,” he says. “I think that's why I've been at Raymond James for 20 years. I'm happy and successful. People are always trying to be successful instead of happy. If you find happiness first, then success will fall in your lap.”
Janice Tuff is a professional writer and communicator who got her start in radio copywriting.
Three decades later, she continues to draw upon the valuable lessons learned in her radio days: grab your audience’s attention quickly and always tell an engaging tale.
Jody Coenjarts
Senior Financial Advisor
Coenjarts Wealth Advisory Group
Raymond James
2303 4th Street SW, Suite 803
Calgary, AB T25 2S7
403 - 457 - 9272
“Raymond James Ltd. is a Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund. “