History

A brief Q&A session with a highly qualified expert:
Our founder.

The best way to learn our company history is to hear about it from the WrapManager founder himself: Gabriel Burczyk, CEO

Q: What was the lightbulb moment in 1998 that inspired your business?

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I started my career at a brokerage company. One day, a broker friend introduced me to a money manager who was getting really good results. I hired this money manager to take care of part of my personal assets.

It was a challenge to lighten my grip on my own personal financial decisions, but after one year of micro-managing this money manager, I relaxed. The real reward was that I got my life back. I didn’t have to manage my own money.

That’s when I started wondering, “Could I do for other people what this money manager did for me?

Q: What’s changed since your early days in business?

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I’ve really enjoyed seeing my clients evolve along with the strategic plans we’ve made for them.

They’ve learned how to commit to a plan, and yet, they’re willing to re-align the plan when something unexpected occurs. They turn to us. While they’ve evolved, we’ve evolved, too.  

One way WrapManager itself has evolved is the way we’ve embraced technology advancements and are continuously learning how to best leverage the tools we have available to best serve our clients.

Q: Why the name WrapManager?

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Wrap” is a technical industry term used to describe a bundle of services, such as investment advice, investment research and brokerage services for one set fee.

But, I prefer the human meaning of the word. It sounds corny, but for me “wrap” conjures up images of holding, nurturing and helping a person. That’s what we do.

We help people understand the power of having a plan that virtually wraps around the realities of their entire lives.

We select money managers for them. We track progress — not just of the plan and investments but of the people it’s designed for… your spouse, your children your favorite adventure.

We wrap the unique aspects of a person’s life into one wealth management strategy that breathes and adapts to life as it changes.

Q: What did you hope would separate WrapManager from all the other advisors?

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Back in 1998 there were plenty of advisors to choose from, but I still found it difficult to find insightful information on every money manager.

There were really good undiscovered money managers out there (like the broker mentioned to me).

I knew our difference would be how well we found and researched money managers, and then how we selected what we felt were the best of the bunch... based on a client’s life and risk tolerance.

We started assembling portfolios featuring multiple money managers, not just one. The financial press picked up on what we were doing and the rest is history.

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Q: What’s the most exciting moment for you in a business day?

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That’s easy: when a client calls me with a complicated financial situation.

Clients want to let go but it isn’t easy. Maybe they’re worried about how they’ll afford the big move to Florida or where the income will come in retirement.

I love helping people plan for these goals, and then see those goals get accomplished. The exciting part for me is untangling the confusion for them, and re-starting their spirits so they can keep moving forward.

Q: What if WrapManager didn’t exist? What would your clients be missing?

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If we weren’t in business I believe people would miss our direct, objective and transparent approach to managing their money. That really shouldn’t be an industry innovation, but I believe the way we approach each client unique situation is innovative.

Another thing they’d miss is how we ask some of the tough questions. We ask them in the first planning phase throughout the course of our relationship.

First-time clients can sometimes feel a little protective. Maybe their previous advisor didn’t ask those questions, but we do. Once we show clients why a question is important, they understand.  

Our clients know they’re being heard, I can feel them becoming more open and sharing more information they wouldn’t have thought to share before. I feel pride in thinking they can go on with their lives confident in their choices.

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