On a day when record levels of snowfall blanket Arkansas, the CEO of Garcia Wealth Management, like many others, is ordering his children to remove their snow-drenched clothes.
“They want to go outside and play in the snow,” Osmar A. García ’13 said. “In, out, in, out. Melted snow puddles everywhere.”
He doesn’t mind, as he is still able to help families and individuals establish their finances and build wealth to ensure a secure future. Osmar and his brother, Gilberto ’17, are co-founders of Conway’s Garcia Wealth Management through Northwestern Mutual. Established in 2019, Garcia Wealth Management began with three employees — Osmar, Gilberto and an associate — and today has nine employees and clients in 24 states. The brothers’ success is born from their desire to build a legacy not only for their families but also for those in their community.
“I was the first in my family to go to college,” Osmar said. “I was not exposed to a lot of scholarship opportunities because my family simply didn’t know how to guide me in that. While I was going to the University of Central Arkansas, I worked in the banking industry, and I would see people come in who couldn’t get to the next step in their lives because they didn’t have their finances together. That was something I knew I could help others do.”
While Osmar was graduating with a degree in finance, Gilberto was entering as a freshman on an athletic scholarship. He played as an offensive lineman for the UCA Bears while studying finance and risk management. After graduating, he pursued his master’s in business administration.
“I knew I wanted to either study finance or become a coach,” said Gilberto, who serves as president of Garcia Wealth Management. “Osmar studied finance, and some of my teammates and our Kappa Sigma brothers also, were pursuing finance as a major. The education, networking connections and internship program with Northwestern Mutual offered at UCA are equal to or better than other universities. I don’t think we would be where we are today without UCA.”
Unbeknownst to each other at the time, Osmar and Gilberto were both talking with Northwestern Mutual about starting a financial planning practice in 2015. Both wanted to serve their communities and help other families build wealth while leaving a legacy of their own for their children.
“It’s motivating to have ‘Garcia’ in the name of our business,” Osmar said. “It’s cool to be in business together because we learn from each other. We complement each other well.”
“We’re proud to go to work every day and build something as a legacy,” Gilberto added.
Both brothers frequently return to UCA to give back and inspire students. On March 7, Osmar spoke on a panel to approximately 100 UCA graduate students. Gilberto encourages students to learn from alumni whenever the opportunity arises.
“Whatever you want to do, someone else has already done it and knows the process,” Gilberto said. “Go be with them, ask questions and learn from their experience.”
Osmar agrees: “If you show me the five people with whom you spend the most time, I’ll show you your future. If you want excellence in your life, keep excellent people around you.”
One of those five people for both Osmar and Gilberto is UCA President Houston Davis.
“We are so proud to be alumni of UCA, and we admire what Dr. Davis has done since arriving and all the initiatives he is putting into place to make UCA a collegiate contender,” Osmar said. “When he was made president in 2017, it was like a big family reunion. Everyone was cheering and hugging. He’s brought the same sense of family and legacy to UCA we hope to instill in Garcia Wealth Management.”
Gilberto said he is most impressed by Davis’ willingness to be present on every level.
“He may be in a board meeting one hour, then taking Instagram photos with students the next,” he said. “He gets the concept of community, and that is one reason he is successful and why we have such deep roots as UCA alumni.”