Will Jones
Dave Van Buskirk recognized early in his career as a financial advisor that the business wasn’t just about numbers, but about the clients, their families, and the decisions they made that shaped their lives. The result was that his clients felt valued and referred his services to others, leading to business growth.
Van Buskirk is an author, financial advisor, and speaker who teaches that the way to grow a business is to build relationships with clients and has shared his unique approach in his new book, Referable: How to Get Unlimited Introductions Without Even Asking.
As an Edward Jones financial advisor, Van Buskirk has grown a successful career by creating a practice centered on relationships and service.
Early Family Influence and Inspiration
Van Buskirk’s family has a history of investing, and early in his life, conversations he had with his grandmother would have a significant impact on his future career. His grandfather worked for IBM, and his grandparents invested in IBM stock, a move they took very seriously.
“My grandmother would talk to me about it when I was young, how ownership worked, how investing wasn’t about speculation but about believing in something over the long term. Those early conversations shaped the way I think about money, relationships, and trust,” says Van Buskirk.
Those talks with his grandmother, he says, made investing feel accessible even at his young age. That was a lesson he carried with him as he built his career.
Two Decades of Experience and Professional Growth
For over 20 years, Van Buskirk has worked with Edward Jones as a financial advisor, becoming a principal in 2013. Throughout those years, he has built a successful business.
“The more we focused on taking great care of people, the more the business grew naturally. That was a powerful lesson,” says Van Buskirk.
Through the years, he has sought out the guidance of business coaches and mentors and built a strong, client-centered team. The lessons he learned from his clients, family, and people who influenced him through his personal and professional journey led him to write his book, Referable. The book explains his referral marketing strategy and how it impacts relationship-based business growth.
“The result is a relationship-driven approach where people feel valued, understood, and taken care of in a way that naturally leads them to share that experience with others,” says Van Buskirk.
Van Buskirk has qualified to attend recognition conferences for the top advisors in the Edward Jones firm multiple times, and his branch is consistently recognized for client service excellence. He was also named a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor by Forbes and Shook Research for multiple years, and over 10 years, he has helped grow the businesses of dozens of financial advisors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Personal Challenges Teach Valuable Lessons
Van Buskirk has had his share of challenges throughout his life. Like many people, he had to deal with the loss of a parent, various health issues, and the difficulty of Alzheimer’s within the family.
“Those moments are never easy, but they’ve shaped me in a meaningful way. They’ve given me a deeper level of empathy and perspective that carries directly into the work we do with clients,” Van Buskirk says.
These experiences also gave him insight into why individuals and families make financial decisions. It’s rarely “just about money,” according to Van Buskirk. That understanding has enabled him to be a better listener and more thoughtful when guiding his clients.
Van Buskirk is grateful for the clients who trust him and his team, the people he works with, his family, and the people who helped shape the company into a client-centered business and inspired his book Referable.
“The ideas in ‘Referable’ aren’t just business strategies. They’re a reflection of those relationships and that mindset,” says Van Buskirk.
2022-2026 Forbes|SHOOK® Best-in-State Wealth Advisors in Texas published 1st trimester each year, research by SHOOK® Research LLC, data as of June of prior year. Compensation provided for using, not obtaining the rating. The rating is not based on quality of investment advice, investment performance or client feedback.