As they set out to climb the ladder of success, North Greenville University’s Spring 2018 graduates were reminded to make sure they were scaling the right wall.


Erik Weir, managing member of WCM Global Wealth in Greenville, SC, told the university’s record spring graduating class and more than 5,000 spectators that, when initially building his success, he built on goals and wealth, not on the foundation of Jesus Christ.


Even though he was a Christian, he said his motivation was all about business and success, but that changed along the way.


Weir developed a stutter at the age of five. His parents pushed him to sell lemonade in their neighborhood, so he would have to practice talking to people. Tat was just one of the first of his entrepreneurial pursuits.


At age 18, Weir earned his real estate license and invested his commissions in stocks. He graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1989 and took a job as a stock broker with Merrill Lynch in Atlanta, GA.


In a period of five years, Weir opened 600 relationships at Merrill Lynch. He rose to the top two percent of the 10,000 people who were active in opening accounts for the company.


Weir went on to San Francisco, CA, where he learned about investment banking, selling companies, and taking companies public.


“I didn’t know what God was doing, [but] it became apparent later in life. He was preparing me to understand finance and preparing me [to] understand you can’t have happiness in financial success; it doesn’t bring joy,” he says.


At NGU’s Spring 2018 graduation, Weir shared the “Five Fs” that can falter when achieving success: faith, family, fitness, finances, and friends.


He told the graduates that their faith is the


underpinning of everything they do in their lives; chasing success can harm their family; their health will falter if they ignore it; debt should be avoided; and the people they choose to associate with will have a significant impact on their lives.


Weir also pointed graduates to the practice of gratitude. He says he keeps a prayer journal with him at all times. He writes things in it that he asks God for.


“And when you’re up against a wall and when things aren’t going your way, you can look back and see hundreds of prayers that God has answered,” he says. “Your faith soars, your gratitude soars, and your hope soars.”


Weir’s success has also soared. He has more than 27 years of investment and financial services experience. He served as senior vice president of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in San Francisco and assistant vice president of Merrill Lynch in Atlanta prior to forming his own company.


In 1999, he formed Weir Capital Manage- ment, which was named one of the top 25 fastest growing companies in South Carolina in both 2009 and 2010. Next, he formed WCM Global Wealth in 2011 as a diversified financial services firm to provide the best client financial products and services possible.


In addition, Weir is involved in the sourcing and development of numerous real estate properties throughout South Carolina and across the U.S., including public storage, retail, commercial, and residential properties. Most recently, WCM Global Wealth has collaborated to redevelop “Te Greenville News” offices in downtown Greenville, SC.


Weir is also a co-manager with Te WTA Group, which has marketed, produced, and developed faith-based films with a total of $400 million in sales over the past three years alone. Te most well-known titles include “Coura- geous,” “War Room,” “God’s Not Dead,” and


NGU.EDU | 5


“Unbroken: Path to Redemption,” released in September 2018.


NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr., host- ed a private screening of “Unbroken: Path to Redemption” with Weir and his co-executive producer and WTA president/owner Bill Reeves, as well as other guests, at the president’s home on Aug. 21.


“Teir passion for storytelling that points to the gospel is unparalleled, and I look forward to seeing how their companies advance significant conversations between viewers after they watch these thought-provoking films,” says Fant.


Weir also connected with NGU business ma- jors as a guest lecturer at NGU’s 2017 Faith at Work Business Symposium, where he chal- lenged students to become transformational leaders who impact culture.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32