Published on
FitzRoy Investment Advisors is a multi-family office based in Miami, Florida. We are an independent firm that provides investment advice to high-net-worth families and individuals.
My name is: Nicole Sager
Childhood ambition: Space exploration
My superpower would be: Flying
My Friday night looks like: I use that time to unwind with my boyfriend and our two dogs. One is a Brussels Griffon and the other is a Yorkie.
I’m currently watching: I hardly ever watch TV unless it’s something big, like photos from the James Webb telescope.
Currently listening to: I always come back to artists like Alina Baraz, Tinashe, Tame Impala.
I find joy in: Making other people smile
On my bucket list is: Skydiving in Antarctica
My first job was: Camp counselor at the same space camp where I built model rockets as a kid.
My favorite Addepar feature is: It’s something simple, but I love the intuitive search tool. It makes things so much faster like referencing. I use it every day, all day.
Q. What’s your role and what are you currently focusing on at FitzRoy?
My official title is reconciliation and reporting manager, so that’s everything involved with making consolidation and client reporting that much better. I’m also focused on optimizing the reporting process so we continue to improve our client service. We want to make sure our clients have quality, clear and relevant information.
Q. What led you to your current role with FitzRoy?
I was approached for my current role because of my prior experience with Addepar. At my previous firm, we were using a [legacy system] and then we migrated over to Addepar. I learned so much in that process, and FitzRoy wanted me to do the same thing here. I’m helping them optimize their Addepar usage.
Q. What are you most proud of in your professional career or personal life?
I’m really proud of having made an impact, not only in my previous position but here in my current position. I’m proud of my drive and spirit, and how they've led me to this point. I know I can make a difference because of the skills I built using the Addepar system. It’s something that always motivates me and is a testament to my diligence.
Q. What recharges you after a long week?
There’s nothing like jumping out of a plane to get the adrenaline flowing and get ready for the week ahead. Skydiving is almost therapeutic for me–literally a breath of fresh air. I’d also like to take up kiteboarding, because it’s almost the opposite experience of skydiving. Skydiving favors light wind or no wind at all, so when it’s windy, I can go kiteboarding instead.
Q. How often do you go skydiving?
I’ve made 398 jumps which is actually not much in the skydiving community. There are people who’ve made thousands of jumps. I enjoy the thrill of it and it is adrenaline inducing, but it’s not what I consider an uncalculated risk. In skydiving, you always have two parachutes versus something like base jumping where you only have one. I actually just came back from a skydiving trip in Hel (Poland).
Q. What trends will technology help you capitalize on in the future?
Integrations. I know Addepar is looking more and more at integrations like Navigator. I think integrations are going to be big, because they not only make things more accurate, removing the risk of human error, but they also make us faster. More integrations will continue to improve the experience between client and advisor. We’ll ultimately be able to go into a meeting with a client and show how things happen live.
Q. How has Addepar changed your focus at work?
A. The way I use Addepar has really shaped how I see procedures and processes. On a daily basis, I am looking for ways to optimize. How can I best show this information in a report? How can I use Addepar in conjunction with something else to make the process more efficient and effective? Before Addepar, I just accepted the process as is. Now, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve processes.
Q. How would you describe your partnership with Addepar?
I see it as a mutualistic partnership. I’ve grown so much professionally in part thanks to Addepar. And I provide my insights and suggestions to Addepar as a part of the AddePro community. I’m amazed that with a company the size of Addepar, and its perception in the industry, that my feedback is heard and considered. There’s a real interest in receiving feedback. I’m also learning how others use Addepar and sharing my knowledge with new users and even with more experienced users. It’s a true team effort.
Q. What do you think about firms that are not as tech-forward as FitzRoy and are not optimizing all the time as you are?
I think they’re missing out on a lot of opportunities. Being so tech-forward means we’re not spending time on the things the technology does for us. For example with our [legacy system], there were so many manual processes and it took us so much time to do things that in Addepar might take us 5 minutes. I’m using that time savings to think about how we can help FitzRoy clients.
Firms not embracing technology may be uncomfortable with change or are averse to the process. But once you’ve onboarded new tech, it’s a very smooth process and it opens doors to all the information that you have. By not embracing technology, I feel they’re missing out on a level of quality that we want to provide here.
Q. Are you seeing an uptick in client requests for information based on what’s going on in the broader economy?
Yes, it’s almost like we need a live twitter feed! What’s been great for me is that when clients want an update, I can easily run and check a report in minutes versus days. While we are experiencing a surge in requests, it’s not really an issue because of Addepar.