Northwestern Mutual

 

Asking the “Courageous Questions” with
Northwestern Mutual

By Elizabeth Bobbitt | Photography by Matthew Gaskins

 

Why is it so difficult to talk about money? Confronting our own financial realities is daunting, but for Managing Partner of South Central Texas, Brian Vrana, educating clients about financial literacy is a community service. Working alongside Wealth Management Advisors Roberto Espinosa and Anne-Marie Grube, Northwestern Mutual’s first Alamo Heights location at 200 Austin Highway is providing insurance and comprehensive financial planning services uniquely tailored to the needs of the 78209 neighborhood.

 

“Our communities need us,” Brian says. “50% of the population in our country owns no life insurance, and only 30% can retire on their current lifestyle. That means that 70% of us will need assistance with retirement planning. People can be nervous to come to us because they know they need help, and they are a little bit embarrassed,” Brian says, who celebrated 25 years with the company in February.

 

“They shouldn’t be,” Roberto adds. “Conversations about financial education are essential. We all need someone who is able to listen, understand, and provide informed guidance.”

 

Even before the office was officially opened last August, the team was busy building local connections with the wider 78209 area.

 

“We are very big on community engagement as part of our company culture, and that begins with our clients. It’s not a nine to five job. Other companies will have clients call a 1-800 number; my clients call me on my cell phone. These are the personal relationships that motivate me every day,” Anne-Marie says.

 

“We officially opened the office about six months ago, but we were so eager to be here that we started working here before it was open,” Roberto says, who joined the company twenty-three years ago after becoming a client himself. “We are so proud to be a part of 78209. It’s a community whose family-oriented values perfectly align with those of Northwestern Mutual.”

 

Fostering Community Connections

 

The Alamo Heights team are advancing one of Northwestern Mutual’s most foundational tenets: they are dynamically investing in the future of their 78209 community.

 

“We share the same values with our clients, and many of our friends and non-profit organizations that we support are located in the wider 78209 area. Even though our Alamo Heights office only recently opened, we’ve been present in the community long before we had our first door open,” Roberto says.

 

Anne-Marie, a recipient of Northwestern Mutual’s award for “Team Player of the Year,” is particularly excited to spotlight the team’s partnership with Trinity University.

 

“We have advanced a strong relationship with Trinity. So far, we have four interns coming to work with us this summer,” Anne-Marie says.

 

“Whether we are visiting campuses to discuss financial planning, or offering summer internships through our recruitment program, our relationships with local colleges are super important to us,” Brian says, who initially joined Northwestern Mutual as an intern himself.

 

“I stumbled upon the internship program at a career fair and came in for an interview. I loved how the job allowed me to engage directly with clients. Today, I’m a mentor in our internship program, and the rest is history,” Brian says.

 

A Comprehensive Plan for the Future

 

A client first stepping through the door of Northwestern Mutual’s Alamo Heights office  can expect to be met with an advisor uniquely suited to the aspects of their own financial journey.

 

“You will meet an advisor who listens, and who is willing to ask those ‘courageous questions.’” Roberto says. “We want to make sure that we understand your story: where you are financially, what you value, and where you want to go.”

 

The Alamo Heights team at Northwestern Mutual is looking to grow with its clients, and it is this tradition of longevity and permanence that sets the team apart from other financial service providers.

 

“If someone tells me that they aren’t sure if they need a financial advisor, I like to use this analogy: if you needed a shade tree, the best time to plant it would have been twenty years ago. The second-best time is today, and a small acorn grows into an oak tree,” Brian says.

 

“The relationships that we foster don’t last just one or two years. We are looking to build relationships that last a lifetime,” Roberto says.