Vacation?  Is this question a joke?  In order to succeed, you absolutely need to think like a business owner.  Name one successful business owner in any field that closed their office for vacation before they became successful.  I certainly don't know of any.

P.S. Once you are successful, no one will care how much time off you take.  You get paid to produce and not to put in time. 

Come on.  I get so sick of people saying how hard this business is.  What kind of jobs have you people worked in?  Successful brokers work 9 to 4 and take tons of vacation and time off.  In my office, as long as you are making your numbers, you manage your time.  No army boot camp.  What good is it to work 12 hours if you don't get a damn thing done?

Working smart is the key.

Curious, how long did ML give you to pass the 7, 66, Life and Health.  And BIG congrats to you.  You have accomplished a great deal and you should have a bright future in front of you.

I agree maybeee, people try to make it in this job because brokers are known for taking tons of time off and working nice hours. Yes, you do have to work your tail off for sometime to build a nice practice, but even then your not sleeping at the office! Stop watching Wall Street....

Here's the difference. I work my a$$ off because I know how difficult this business is. I could have gone to a Morgan Stanley or AG where the expectations are lower. I chose to go to 'bootcamp' to fully commit to 3-5 years or tiring hours. Yeah, the hurdles are ridiculous, but I am making my numbers and my pipeline for 1Q06 is enough to graduate me one year early from my program.

So I dont mind working in a 'bootcamp'. I dont mind working for a demanding firm. I dont mind working 60 hours /per week ( I sued to work that at my other firm for 4 years). I dont care if I need to catch a half hour nap in my office. I take pride in my work ethic. I take pride that I am making it at the most demanding firm out there....

Blarm, see there is this other thing called a LIFE you might want to check out.  How much money do you need to be happy?  I truly hope you live long enough to enjoy it.

"Blarm, see there is this other thing called a LIFE you might want to check out.  How much money do you need to be happy?  I truly hope you live long enough to enjoy it"

Maybeeee- Please dont worry about me bud. I live a balanced life. When I am working, I'm going hard. When I am not in the office, I am enjoying my life. Whether its partying with my friends, surfing, playing ball, traveling to Vegas/ Scottsdale/ NY, whatever- it's all good.... Living in Southern Cali has its perks....

Blarm...you have an office?  Why aren't you in the pen with the rest of the POA's huh???

You think you're special or something?!?     Just messin with ya!

"Blarm...you have an office?  Why aren't you in the pen with the rest of the POA's huh?"

Because I am balling BankFC....

I was in the pen, but after about 3 months I was 'upgraded' to the office... It's not the fancy corner office with the couch yet, but I will get there soon enough.... I cant wait- I can take my half hour power naps in luxury....

I’m a fan of the power nap as well.  Problem is that I’ve got young kids and with little sleep at home (5 or 6 hours a night) my power naps sometimes runaway on me.  That’s why I work those 70 hour weeks, I need the extra 10 hours for naps.

blarmston:

Here's the difference. I work my a$$ off because I know how difficult this business is. I could have gone to a Morgan Stanley or AG where the expectations are lower. I chose to go to 'bootcamp' to fully commit to 3-5 years or tiring hours. Yeah, the hurdles are ridiculous, but I am making my numbers and my pipeline for 1Q06 is enough to graduate me one year early from my program.

So I dont mind working in a 'bootcamp'. I dont mind working for a demanding firm. I dont mind working 60 hours /per week ( I sued to work that at my other firm for 4 years). I dont care if I need to catch a half hour nap in my office. I take pride in my work ethic. I take pride that I am making it at the most demanding firm out there....

-----------------------------------

Great attitude, Blarm!

[quote=blarmston]

Here's the difference. I work my a$$ off because I know how difficult this business is. I could have gone to a Morgan Stanley or AG where the expectations are lower. I chose to go to 'bootcamp' to fully commit to 3-5 years or tiring hours. Yeah, the hurdles are ridiculous, but I am making my numbers and my pipeline for 1Q06 is enough to graduate me one year early from my program.

So I dont mind working in a 'bootcamp'. I dont mind working for a demanding firm. I dont mind working 60 hours /per week ( I sued to work that at my other firm for 4 years). I dont care if I need to catch a half hour nap in my office. I take pride in my work ethic. I take pride that I am making it at the most demanding firm out there....

[/quote]

Ya know, sometimes I feel jaded, cynical, and frustrated.  Then I read stuff like this, and I realize why I love this business.

Keep it up man!  I'm going to print this and post it by my phone!

[quote=dude]

I do not work at Merrill Lynch, but it is common knowledge that they are the most demanding among the wirehouses.  My favorite analogy is that Morgan Stanley is like the Coast Guard, Merrill Lynch is like the Marines (this came from a Morgan Stanley broker!).

[/quote]

With all the crossing of personnel (Gorman from ML to MS) and dramatic changes from the top in corporate "culture" I'm not so sure about that. Seems to me the majors are becoming more and more alike. At MS the guys that loved the "Coast Guard" usually DW holdovers who were massive B share guys getting paid more to sell DW funds than others, have jumped ship. They're probably infesting ML, SB and Wachovia as we speak. 

Coast Guard observation is a hold over from old Dean Witter Days.  When socks and stocks (dean witter/sears) joined the 9 inch c*cks (just joking here, I’m not ready for anyone’s crap today)it made for an interesting combo.  It was blue collar mixing with blue blood.  Maybe like Goldman merging with, oh let’s say Ed Jones.  .  Sorry Mike, I’m just having a little fun, I used to work for Morgan so it’s easy.  Mack and Gorman are a DEFINITE plus for Morgan, my predictions is good things from here. 

Guys this is a frickin awesome thread!!!! I am actually on vacation this week and I want to go to work. Blarm is exactly right, I should have my wife read this thread so she understand why I am going to work all those hours next year when I go indy.

Great job guys, keep it up! Inspiring!

[quote=giff74]

Guys this is a frickin awesome thread!!!! I am actually on vacation this week and I want to go to work. Blarm is exactly right, I should have my wife read this thread so she understand why I am going to work all those hours next year when I go indy.

Great job guys, keep it up! Inspiring!

[/quote]

next year?

oh I guess it's not that far away any more!

Tell your wife it will be worth it both financially and emotionally when you get to the other side!

Throughout these posts, members have been saying how FAs wanting a vacation are lazy and unproductive, but they still haven't answered whether or not Merrill Lynch POAs receive any vacation. Do they get any official time off even if they choose not to take it?

Yeah, officially you do. But you better be killing your numbers to even think about taking more than a Monday off for a long weekend. If you are barely hitting your goals and there isnt much activity, dont think about asking for time off… Even though your director may say yes, do you really want him/her to store in the old memory banks that you have been taking time off??? When push comes to shove down the road, I would want to do as much as possible to convey to them that you are the hardest working FA in the office…

So since the director always takes notice of one's work ethic, does this come into consideration once the 2 year deadline rolls around? For example, if it is evident that I am busting my butt getting clients that will definitely give me more money in the future, and yet I am a bit shy of the 15 MM benchmark, will I still be fired due to Merrill Lynch policy? Or is it all up to the director's discretion?

Don’t be on the line, and it won’t be a problem.  Blarmy has PMed
me several times about awsome long weekends, Fridays and Mondays off,
recharging along the way.  I tell the POA’s in my region, if you
are having a bad Friday, leave.  If you are having a bad Teusday,
take a walk around the building and work until 7.  ML goals are
high, and tough, but if you get through it, you have an expectation of
you that will cary your far.  Embrace it, don’t shun it.

So since the director always takes notice of one's work ethic, does this come into consideration once the 2 year deadline rolls around? For example, if it is evident that I am busting my butt getting clients that will definitely give me more money in the future, and yet I am a bit shy of the 15 MM benchmark, will I still be fired due to Merrill Lynch policy? Or is it all up to the director's discretion? "

I dont believe you will be straight fired. If you come in at 12M and have 80% annuitized and your pipeline is decent, then you will have a good probability of staying... If you can present that of the 12M clients have with you, that they have 5-10M more outside and that you have a great relationship and chance that you will be getting that, then you are fine. However, if you have 12M and 80% is in cash or dead assets, and the pipeline isnt full enough, then you will prboably fire yourself- knowing that once you come off the salary that you will starve...