Constantinos Maniatis

Constantinos Maniatis is a financial advisor by profession, a philanthropist by passion, and a foodie at heart. He had vast experience of working as a financial advisor and broker before he co-founded a Multi-Family Office – Corps Capital Advisors, LLC., dedicated to one single proposition: “Clients Deserve Better.”

Maniatis was born and raised in Dallas and graduated from Boston College. He was inspired by Professor Robert P. Murphy and Peter Lynch in the early days of his career to become a financial advisor. He joined Merrill Lynch Institutional Advisory Group after completing his BS in Economics, which opened a whole new world to him. He started from the institutional bond trading desk in Merrill Lynch Institutional Advisory Group and now he is the co-founder of a private investment firm, Corps Capital Advisors, LLC., in Southlake, TX. Constantinos has proficiency in a strategic advisory about investment and wealth management which he fully utilizes to serve his clients with “Better Service, Better Performance, Better Value”.

The journey of entrepreneurship started for Constantinos when he joined Morgan Stanley and met Thomas Morgan Jr. They both conceived a business idea to provide institutional equity, fixed income & private equity solutions for ultra-high net worth individuals. They created a dynamic wealth management group that has been together for over eleven years. Now their Multi-family Office provides investment management and lifestyle services and can serve as the GM of your family business entities, the head coach of your extended family team, and the quarterback of your investment advisor team.

Apart from his busy professional life as a financial advisor, he is a philanthropist, prominent sponsor of the Charity Water Organization, and runs a family-owned business named “Maniatis Foods”, selling exceptional quality, authentic Olive oil, and other Olive products right from the heart of Kalamata, Greece.

He is a true believer in hard work and a very well-organized and punctual person. He knows the art of embracing failure as a leader.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

I have worked for years as a broker and financial advisor. After meeting Thomas Morgan Jr. at Morgan Stanley, both of us envisioned a firm meant to offer the best investment management and lifestyle services for ultra-high net worth individuals. Both of us had vast experience in our field that gave us the drive to offer proven institutional fixed income solutions to individuals seeking it.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

My typical day starts as I get up early and enjoy a cup of tea with my wife. I’m a little over-punctual, so I try to get to work at least 25 minutes before the ‘start time’. I jot down all plans and prioritize them. I like staying organized and planning ahead in order to increase my productivity.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Ideas have to be conceptualized first.
You need to write down a detailed description of your idea, how you visualize it, its primary purpose, and what the main features are. Then comes the design stage. Once the design is finalized, it is handed over for production or implementation. Testing of the design is also a vital part of bringing any idea to life.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I like the trend of AI, especially in the field of financial services. It is the next evolution of inbound marketing. I appreciate the idea of focusing on creating aided awareness “in funnel” to facilitate conversion instead of driving attention to prospects at “top of funnel”.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

The gratification of overcoming an obstacle is my greatest motivator that makes me more productive also, at least this is what I believe. Let me share a little story with you. Math has never been my best subject, but I opted to take Honors Statistics in college, because I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. The course wasn’t easy, and I spent many nights studying late, and enjoyed the challenging work. The feeling of accomplishment that comes with exceeding challenging goals is what drew me to a career.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Know when to leave. Whether it’s friendships, relationships, or your career, recognize the signs when it’s time to move on. This means you may need to take a risk but do that timely.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

The future of the world is in technology and not globalization. Yes, I mean what I just said. For me, spreading old ways to create wealth around the world will result in devastation, not riches. In a world of scarce resources, globalization without new technology is unsustainable.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Stay organized! Always! Being organized allows me to manage and balance my projects without feeling constantly overwhelmed or overworked. For me keeping everything organized saves time, eliminates distractions, minimizes stress and anxiety, and increases my productivity and focus.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Exceptional Customer Service! No doubt about it! Always go the extra mile when you can to serve your client. Your customers will always remember great service and will refer other people to you. I strategize to nurture my existing customers by staying in contact with them via an e-newsletter or letting them know about events ahead of time. It helps me grow my business.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

They say, “Success is 99% failure” and I truly believe it. The road to success was not a smooth one for me like many others. It was a bumpy path but I always believed in myself. To overcome failure, the first and foremost thing I do is to disassociate the failure from myself as a person. I strive to understand and recognize it while continuing to live my life, happy with what I am working toward.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I am a foodie. So I would suggest anyone willing to start a business should explore the idea of setting up a smaller, boutique store specializing in organic products. This could be a scaled-down version of Whole Foods or you could create a line of products that you sell yourself or offer through other outlets.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

What can be the best use of $100 other than donating it to Charity Water Organization? Whenever I see people around me wasting water, I can’t help but think of those who can’t even have a draught of clean drinking water. I stand with the Charity Water Organization to bring clean and safe water to every person on the planet.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Addepar! It may not be the easiest solution to implement but it’s my favorite performance reporting software. Its wide array of components make it the most customizable. As a financial advisor, I like the customer data my way, and Addepar helps me with it.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

The Dhandho Investor by Monish Pabrai
This book presents a collage of the various aspects of investment management that every individual should pay heed to. It introduces the concepts that you must understand to effectively invest and provides the tools and the knowledge needed to do so. Worth reading!

What is your favorite quote?

Albert Einstein: “Failure is success in progress.”

Key Learnings:

• Know when to leave and move on to take the risk.
• Stay organized to manage work without feeling overwhelmed.
• Invest in exceptional customer service and nurture existing clients to attract new ones organically.
• Learn the art to disassociate yourself from failure as a person to continue with life happily.