Providing the Warmest Client Experience We Can Imagine
Ryan Wells
Co-founder And Chief Executive Officer
As a child, I had an intense passion for everything related to cars. I was obsessed with them and subscribed to every car magazine I could get my hands on. However, when I was 12, I realized that if I wanted to buy my own car, I would have to earn the money myself.
Why I Am In This Profession
As a child, I had an intense passion for everything related to cars. I was obsessed with them and subscribed to every car magazine I could get my hands on. However, when I was 12, I realized that if I wanted to buy my own car, I would have to earn the money myself. That's when I started delivering newspapers on my BMX bike. For the next two years, I delivered papers every day, even in bad weather. Finally, I saved up enough money to buy a 1971 Datsun 510 for $1500. It was one of the most rewarding days of my life. This experience taught me the value of a dollar and the freedom that comes with financial independence.
In my freshman year of college, I made the decision to invest some of my saved money into the stock market. This was during the late 1999/early 2000 period, and it didn't go as well as I had hoped. The stocks crashed, and I lost 50% of the money within weeks. This experience helped me understand that I needed to learn more about money and the psychology behind making financial decisions. To gain knowledge in this area, I took courses on behavioral finance from Duke University and volunteered my time to work with low-income families. Since then, I have devoted my life to understanding the role of money in our lives, as well as the emotional factors that drive us when it comes to money.
After gaining a strong foundation in financial planning and continuing my academic education, I decided to start my own firm. My goal is to help others build wealth and manage their money efficiently, enabling them to lead rich and meaningful lives.
What I Am Most Proud Of
I am extremely proud of the significant changes that our clients have made in their lives as a result of our work. With our help, they have been able to free up their time to spend with the people they love and do the things they enjoy. Some have retired earlier or worked less, while others have experienced the joy of contributing more to philanthropic causes and transferring gifts to their loved ones sooner rather than later.
One Thing I Am Doing To Help The Planet
I installed a rainwater harvesting system at my family's home, reusing nearly 2,000 gallons of rainwater each year.
Outside Of Work, My Passions Include
Some of my hobbies include working on classic cars, engaging in outdoor activities, traveling to eco-lodges internationally, and taking care of our backyard chickens and honeybees.
How Can I Help?
Dana Harcos
Client Relationship Manager
Throughout my life, I have found personal fulfillment in helping people. I pursued a degree in elementary education and taught ballroom dancing during college. I discovered that teaching is a great way to make a positive impact on people's lives.
Why I Am In This Profession
Throughout my life, I have found personal fulfillment in helping people. I pursued a degree in elementary education and taught ballroom dancing during college. I discovered that teaching is a great way to make a positive impact on people's lives. After graduation, I took a temporary position in the human resources department of a technology firm during a booming economy. However, I found that the corporate world also offered exciting opportunities to help people, mainly in human resources and event planning. I have worked with people from various industries, including internet security, law, and accounting. I have learned that building professional relationships not only provides benefits for clients and employees but also for myself. Working at PathWise allows me to get to know clients and their families better, and focus on ways to make their lives easier, which is a very rewarding experience.
What I Am Most Proud Of
I take pride in my creativity. I generate original ideas and find solutions to problems.
One Thing I Am Doing To Help The Planet
We recently adopted our first dog from the Contra Costa County animal shelter and actively support multiple animal rescue organizations.
Outside Of Work, My Passions Include
I enjoy hiking, skiing, and traveling.
How Can I Help?
Arek Puzia
Co-founder And Chief Investment Officer, CFP®, CPA
Personal finance has always fascinated me. Most people spend the majority of their waking hours working hard to meet life's basic necessities, and it's no different for my family. Both of my parents work in labor-intensive jobs at a steel mill, and my first job was delivering newspapers and washing dishes at a local restaurant called The Velvet Creamery.
Why I Am In This Profession
Personal finance has always fascinated me. Most people spend most of their waking hours working hard to meet life's basic necessities, and it's no different for my family. My parents work in labor-intensive jobs at a steel mill, and my first job was delivering newspapers and washing dishes at a local restaurant called The Velvet Creamery. Financial planning is an absolute necessity to ensure that all of this time, energy, and effort is not wasted by poor or uninformed decisions. While some decisions can be reversed, many are final, and it's impossible to turn back the clock. It's heartbreaking to tell someone their hard work and sacrifice was wasted because of mistakes that could have easily been avoided with the right expertise.
Personal finances can be an intimate topic for most people. It often requires us to acknowledge our past mistakes and regrets while revealing our fears about the future. Growing up, my parents didn't have much money and didn't understand finances. They focused on the next paycheck rather than long-term planning. It was challenging since we were a family of five, and my parents worked low-paying blue-collar jobs. Additionally, they never showed interest in investing and had difficulty explaining the difference between a stock and a bond. In contrast, I have always been passionate about finance and money. I've been an avid coin collector (also known as a numismatist) since I was young. I took on any job I could and opened my first retirement account at 18. I read every personal finance book I could find to expand my knowledge. In school, I focused on finance and accounting. I was fortunate enough to graduate as the salutatorian in my high school class and studied accounting and economics at UCLA. I then worked for IBM, setting up large accounting systems for big companies. Despite this, my interest in finance persisted, and I returned to school, obtaining my MBA at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. My focus remained on finance, and I went on to work for Merrill Lynch in their Capital Markets group in London. While there, I worked on a large trading desk, focusing on foreign currencies, commodities, and bonds.
However, deep down inside, I felt that my true calling was helping people like my parents, who had worked hard to achieve success and needed help avoiding the many pitfalls that could cause them great pain. Wealth management is much more than a simple return on investment. It's really about a return on life. "Wealth" is often defined by a number in a bank account, but it is much more. Money is simply a tool we use to express ourselves in life... it is what helps us create our "stories." Every client I work with teaches me something new. Hearing their "stories" is an intimate, amazing, and humbling experience. Our clients' wisdom is unbelievable, and I feel honored to have the opportunity to help them take their lives to the next level.
What I Am Most Proud Of
I take great pride in the relationships we have established with our clients. Over time, many of them have become close friends, and the company now feels like an "extended family" - just as we had hoped it would. Nothing is more fulfilling than being passionate about what you do. I feel like I retired a long time ago because I love what I do so much that I can't even imagine the possibility of stopping.
One Thing I Am Doing To Help The Planet
We prioritize energy efficiency, recycling, and waste reduction in our household.
Outside Of Work, My Passions Include
My favorite activities include skiing, exploring off-the-beaten-path locations, outdoor adventures, and spending quality time with my wife and daughter.
How Can I Help?