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56 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com Marciniak started her climb up the financial ladder to success on one of the darkest days on Wall Street. e stock market crashed on her birthday in 1987: October 19 – otherwise known as "Black Monday." Marciniak had already accepted a position with Shearson Lehman Brothers in New York City and says she was excited to venture into the world of stocks and bonds, despite the gloomy financial forecast. e position within the company also introduced her to another valuable commodity in her life: her husband, Mike. e couple lived and worked in the Big Apple for several years before Mike was relocated to Sarasota and they continued to commute. "e traveling back and forth became difficult so we decided that it was best that I move down. Initially my plan was to live in Sarasota for 6 to 12 months and move back to New York City. I fell in love with Sarasota and decided that I wanted to stay," she says. Like a true competitive player, Marciniak founded and grew her business over the last 26 years the old fashioned way: by cold calling starting with every name in her college directory. She's proud to say that her first client is still with her. She has helped hundreds of clients grow their individual investment portfolios for the future, working with multiple generations in some families. Today, Marciniak is the Senior Vice President of Wealth Management with the Marciniak Group within Merrill Lynch and says all of her referrals are from current clients, attorneys and CPAs in the area. Marciniak grew up in a sports household as a child, playing competitive tennis with her twin sister, along with ping pong, basketball and skiing with her brother and family. Her favorite destination is Aspen, where she hikes and bikes during the summer, and spends winter vacations skiing down the slopes while her children prefer snowboarding. "I love skiing fast while listening to my playlist through my helmet. It's a natural high for me." She credits that lifelong love affair with competitive sports that gives her a strong work ethic and creating that important balance in her life with work and family. "I've learned so much by being an athlete and was inspired by [tennis star] Chris Evert. She was not afraid to be feminine, but at the same time, was a fierce competitor. It has been the foundation of everything I do. I love competing and it motivates me in this business." When she first moved to Sarasota, Marciniak faced some tough challenges. No one wanted to meet with her, so to gain exposure and new clients, she offered seminars on investing for women. at proved to be a very prudent move before the age of the available information on the internet. Marciniak's strength as a financial planner comes from not just getting information, but understanding what it means for her clients' individual risk profile and needs. "I speak in terms that my clients can understand, and for sophisticated and unsophisticated investors, I lay a foundation that is simple and clear. My business is based on goal-based financial planning so we begin with a deep dive into their goals." In an industry that has been dominated mostly by men, Marciniak says she's never been intimated working in a man's world. "I think that the financial world is equitable. My clients don't care if I am male or female as long as they know that I care, and will always do the right thing for them. My success has come because of hard work, caring and knowledge. It is not gender based at all." Left to Right: Nancy and her family enjoy time on their boat on the Manatee River. Nancy holding up her "catch" — a gag grouper. Nancy and her twin sister auditioned for a "Doublemint Gum" commercial back in their teens.

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