‘ELE’ELE — Despite daily challenges that most people never face, local businessman Rob Lansdell is persevering the only way he knows how.
He continually strives to be the best.
For Lansdell, there is no other alternative.
In the early summer of 1998, he got married. Three days after his marriage, he took his family to Queen’s Bath, at Princeville, for a day of recreation.
The day turned devastating for the family when Lansdell hit his head on a rock after diving into the picturesque pool.
He lost all feeling in his extremities, and the preliminary medical report stated that he had a suffered an “incomplete C5-6” spinal-chord injury.
“Doctors are kind of vague when they talk about these kind of injuries,” he said. “They really don’t want to break your spirit with bad news. But it was clear that I would never be able to walk again.
“I also had limited use of my upper body.”
Lansdell spent a year in rehabilitation in his native Baltimore. He made significant progress at the rehab center, although it became apparent that he probably would be confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.
“Initially, I was in denial. The life that I knew before the accident would no longer be the same,” he said. “I had to go through major life changes.”
Before the accident, Lansdell was food and beverage manager at the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort & Spa in Po’ipu. Once his rehabilitation was complete, he returned to the island and the Hyatt, this time in human resources.
“My first goal was to get back to Kaua’i,” Lansdell said. “I wanted to try and re-establish the life that I once had.”
He continued to work at the hotel for the next three years before deciding to pursue a different endeavor.
Lansdell, 31, had personally invested for 10 to 15 years in financial markets, and thought his knowledge about the subject could translate into a new career.
He decided to take it on full-time in February of 2003.
Lansdell became an investment representative with Edward Jones at that time. While he currently does a great deal of work from his home, he plans on opening a business location Koloa in the next few months.
“I always had the mindset that this was something I could do from my (wheel) chair and be good at,” he said.
Lansdell enlisted the services of Edward Jones Branch Office Assistant Julia Pons to help with some of the administrative duties of his career.
In addition, Lansdell uses some unorthodox techniques to meet his clients.
“One of the things that our company believes in is face-to-face interactions,” he said. “We (Edward Jones) try and build relationships with our customers. So it is important to meet with them on a personal basis.
“I try and get as close as possible (to their homes, knock on the side of the house and then shout ‘Aloha.’) It’s a way to make my presence known.”
Lansdell has made his presence known in a big way here on the island.
“It’s been phenomenal,” he said. “I am extremely satisfied. It has been a tremendous journey of re-establishing as much independence as possible.
“It is very rewarding for me to be able to meet with clients and work to fulfill their needs.”
Business Editor Barry Graham may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or mailto:bgraham@pulitzer.net.
