We can’t wrap up Financial Literacy Month without telling a powerful story about passion and empowerment.
Meet our founder, Danijel Velicki.
Born in Croatia to an auto mechanic father and retail worker mother, Danijel, along with his older sister, grew up with an example of grit and gusto. While they weren’t dirt poor, the Velicki family wasn’t well off, either. They didn’t have many material pleasures, and while Danijel didn’t know the exact financial standing of his parents, he knew they worked long and hard to provide. Their dedication to do what was necessary made an indelible impression on Danijel, who dreamed of life and opportunity in the United States. Although he appreciated his parents’ sacrifices and loved the rugged beauty of his home country, at that time, Croatian culture wasn’t built for individual success and didn’t offer supportive resources.
Before his senior year of high school, change came knocking on Danijel’s door—with no time to waste. The years-long war between Serbia and Croatia ended August 5, his 18th birthday was August 6, and on August 11, he was on a plane to the United States, set to finish his senior year of high school.
Foreign exchange coordinators picked Danijel up at Pittsburgh International Airport, promptly dropping him off to his host family in the tiny town of Mannington, West Virginia. The culture shock was more like an earthquake, but his Eastern European hardiness soon kicked in and he acclimated to life in the Appalachian hills. After high school, Danijel enrolled at nearby Fairmont State University, where he received a BS in marketing and finance. With hopes of using that degree to help people seek a better life like he did, he earned a handful of interviews with financial firms, only to hear talk of sales and big money that didn’t speak to his vision. With bigger dreams still in mind, Danijel took a job in Virginia Beach as a management consultant.
As fate would have it, in 2001 Danijel crossed paths with a financial planner who introduced him to a way of doing finances that wasn’t zeroed in on selling or founded on promises of fat paychecks. At this firm, they were focused on teaching and empowering their clients; Danijel immediately knew this was where he wanted to be. As a financial planner, he found a means of embracing his desire to help people through his own financial knowledge and innate ability to build relationships.
At work, Danijel found himself looking across his desk at people who reminded him of his parents—couples and individuals trying to create a better life for their children or themselves. It made him wonder how much easier life would’ve been if his parents would’ve had more support and resources in Croatia when he was a child. He also noticed a surprising similarity when he sat across from high-level executives. Even though they had plenty of money at their disposal, many of them lacked basic knowledge about their investments and accounts.
Danjel’s wheels began to turn.
Who Is Sqwire?
More than half of Americans say money is their #1 stressor. When that stress remains over time, it takes away from overall quality of life. However, when that stress is reduced, people are empowered to be better—as individuals, spouses, parents, and employees. There’s no question that lessening financial worry affords the ability to enjoy life. As a child of hardworking parents in a country with limited resources, and as an immigrant who worked hard to achieve his goals, Danijel knows these circumstances very well.
As his career in financial planning grew, Danijel decided to take the next step as a founder. Sqwire came to life in 2019. With the support of his small team of pros in finance and marketing, Danijel built a company on a mission to help more Americans achieve financial wellness. He wanted to do it differently, to meet people where they are and to do it with compassion and fun.
The Sqwire team and the SqwireLife platform do exactly that. We offer comprehensive financial education through personalized programs, self-paced curriculum, and relatable content. Sqwire partners with businesses, higher education, and nonprofits to provide these resources to employees and customers. Our overarching philosophy is simple: Life is better when you’re not worried about money. Sqwire’s mission shines through authentically, as it reflects the real-life journey of its founder.
What’s In a Name?
Choosing a name is one of the hardest parts of starting a business. A name defines the brand and often serves to underscore a particular aspect of the business. So, what’s in our name?
When Danijel was brainstorming a name for his company, he knew he wanted it to reflect the ideals of support, upward mobility, and dignity. His thoughts reached far into the past, to a period centuries ago.
In medieval times, the squire served as an apprentice to a knight. The main duties of a squire included assisting the knight in battle and tournaments, caring for the knight’s armor and weapons, and tending to his horse. Additionally, squires were responsible for learning the skills necessary for knighthood, such as swordsmanship, horsemanship, and chivalry, under the guidance of their knightly mentor. As the squire gained experience and demonstrated proficiency in combat and knightly virtues, he could eventually be dubbed a knight himself, marking the culmination of his training and transition into the noble warrior class of medieval society.
The journey of the squire perfectly encapsulated Danijel’s vision for his company. And so it was, with a small adjustment in spelling. Today, Sqwire is proud to partner with businesses, colleges, and organizations across the country to help more Americans live a better life. During Financial Literacy Month, our hope is for Danijel’s story to show the soul of this small-but-mighty company and to remind our readers that hope and help are out there!
Sqwire is on a mission to help people take control of their financial future. We partner with businesses, organizations, and solopreneurs to provide our SqwireLife platform to employees and customers. Let’s talk about how you can provide them with FREE access to 70+ lessons on personal finance topics, from insurance to investing to retirement and more!