Brian Wielgus

Brian Wielgus. Photo courtesy of NEWaukee.

Where do you work and what makes your role awesomesauce?

I am a Financial Advisor with The Bellehumeur, Buday & Yost Group at Baird. What makes my role awesome are my fellow associates. I’m really proud to work with some of the brightest and most genuine people in Milwaukee. I feel very fortunate to work for one of  Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. ‘Clients Come First’ is way more than a sound bite for us at Baird.

How long have you lived in Milwaukee and what brought you here?

I’ve been here a bit over 10 years now. UW-Milwaukee’s architecture school brought me here; Theresa, now my wife whom I met freshman year, has kept me here. Even a decade later, I feel like I’m always learning and loving more about the nooks and crannies of the city.

What is one word that you would use to describe Milwaukee?

Evolving. The perception of the city no longer fits reality. The continued growth of water technology, the brewing renaissance, the budding start-up culture, companies moving here and a new generation of ownership will have massive impacts on our community in the decades to come.

Where do you see Milwaukee in five years?

I see it being just west of Lake Michigan, north of Chicago and south of Green Bay. I am thrilled to see the continued investment in the downtown as well as the growth of housing options. It would be great to get to the point where we don’t see people from out of town and introduce ourselves as from Bay View or Glendale but just that we are from Milwaukee. Living in Milwaukee deserves to be something all residents are proud of.

What is your biggest hope for this city?

Financial education is a hot topic especially among young professionals in other up-and-coming cities, and we’re hoping to put it on the map in Milwaukee as well and drive up the level of financial knowledge and understanding for everyone. To me, money is a vitally important tool that can be used to create a brighter future for yourself and the people you care about. As young adults become more educated, they will pass their financial values on to their next generation.

Our team is working to drive this change by targeting younger clients and hosting quarterly educational happy hours to talk about things like Student Loans, Renting vs. Buying, and Finances with Children in a casual environment to allow for actionable learning.

It’s easy to Google ‘What should I be doing?’ but you can’t search for ‘What could I be missing?’ That’s where the human interaction and discussion with a peer, mentor or trusted professional in the financial services industry can be so vital.

What’s your favorite hidden gem or secret fact about the city?

That Lake Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same designer as New York’s Central Park. My minor in Architecture taught me enough to appreciate good design and know that I can’t do it myself.