Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP #240: From Carjacking Victim to Financial Professional : Gaston Garza's Journey of Transformation With Lone Star Financial Network

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Gaston Garza with Lone Star Financial a good neighbor?

Surrender can become our strongest moment of transformation. Gaston Garza's journey from surviving a violent carjacking to becoming a trusted Financial Professional demonstrates how life's lowest points can launch us toward our true purpose.

The founder of Lone Star Financial Network shares his remarkable story with host Sophia Yvette, revealing how three years of surgeries following a shooting led him to a hospital bed revelation that changed everything. "I hit such a low point in my life that I only had one place to look up, and that was God," Gaston explains with raw honesty. This spiritual surrender became the foundation for his mission to help others both spiritually and financially.

Unlike many financial professionals who push clients down predetermined paths, Gaston emphasizes understanding clients' unique situations before making any recommendations. His firm takes a truly holistic approach by bringing all financial advisors—from CPAs to investment managers—into one room to ensure everyone works coherently toward the client's goals. This collaborative strategy addresses a common industry problem where financial professionals often work in isolation from each other.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Gaston reveals that building generational wealth doesn't require massive initial investments. His own children began with permanent life insurance policies costing less than $100 monthly, designed to build accessible cash value they can use for future major purchases while simultaneously growing death benefits that transfer wealth to the next generation. "It has nothing to do with money," he insists. "It has a lot to do with wisdom and the next steps where you're at financially."

Ready to transform your financial future with guidance that puts your goals first? Connect with Gaston and Lone Star Financial Network to experience financial planning that begins with your story, not just your numbers. Your journey toward financial confidence starts with a single conversation.

To learn more about Lone Star Financial go to:

https://calendly.com/g-garza-insure/60mins?month=2025-03

Lone Star Financial

832-567-4017

Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a financial advising company with a holistic approach? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, gaston Garza, with his company, lone Star Financial Network. Gaston, how are you today?

Speaker 3:

I'm doing well. I'm coming at you live from downtown Dallas. We have a national convention and I just wanted to make sure I made it.

Speaker 2:

Awesome, awesome, and we are so excited to learn all about you and your company. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Speaker 3:

Absolutely, Absolutely. We are in the Frisco area, near the star. It's called Lone Star Financial Network. We generally have a holistic approach in regards to financial planning. We have a variety of different things. I would kind of break it down in three different silos. There's an investment part, where we do investments at the firm. Then we also have the protection you know having individuals protect their wealth and their family, and then, of course, the financial planning side. You know we have a variety of different resources. What we typically do is just have a brief conversation. We meet people where they're at financially, find out what their goals are, their passions, and then we regroup, we offer some recommendations and then help our clients both individuals, business owners and companies get to where they need to be. And we have a variety of different resources.

Speaker 2:

So, gaston, how did you get into this business?

Speaker 3:

Well, you know what it goes back to my calling. Believe it or not, I'm from Houston. I had very humble beginnings and I had one of the worst days of my life, which became the best day of my life, is I was a victim of a carjacking in 2003. And what happened? Very briefly, some individuals came at me and I tried to get away. They shot in the car and they hit my leg three times. Now here's where it gets interesting. You know 03, the hardware to put my leg back together. 04, they took all the hardware out and then 05, I got a knee replacement. So those three years were the worst years of my life. I can technically say I hit rock bottom years were the worst years of my life. I can technically say I hit rock bottom. Now, what happened is, during that last surgery, I hit such a low point in my life that only had one place to look up and that was God. So in a hospital bed, I basically lifted my hands, reached up to the sky and tears surrendered to God. I told. I told him just plain simple I don't know what you want me to do, I don't even know where to begin, but whatever you want me to do I will do.

Speaker 3:

From that moment forward, my life completely changed. I moved to Dallas in 06 for an opportunity. I worked for a energy company called Stream Energy, which was very successful. Then I moved to a variety of different startup companies. I had a really good friend whose name is Mr Alex Rodriguez, alejandro Rodriguez. He was my best friend growing up and he gave me a shot and that's all I needed. The rest was wisdom, blessings, and then I took off. I did start in a cleaning company, but here's what I found out. I found out that my calling, when I asked the Lord of above what he wanted me to do, and that's he wanted me to help people. So I share my testimony and not only do I help people spiritually, now I'll help people financially and it is a dream job for me and you know I don't. I don't see life the same and I, you know it's just a revelation and it is. I'm grateful to be where I'm at and I'm grateful to help people and I would love to help anyone, any business that comes across my table.

Speaker 2:

Wow, what an amazing backstory you have, and it truly speaks. I mean, god can only work with us once we're fully surrendered to him.

Speaker 3:

It's like you don't know what you don't know. But then, once you realize that he's real, and my goodness, he reveals himself to you and I'll just leave it at that.

Speaker 2:

Amazing and I really could talk with you about this topic. I promise you all day long, but we have to get to our next question.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely, I totally get it.

Speaker 2:

What is the most common myth or misconception you come across in your industry?

Speaker 3:

I would have to say. Here's what I hear from the ground. I hear that a lot of individuals in my industry will kind of lead people one way. One way, and what we do completely different is we don't offer any recommendations without knowing the client and the company's backstory, without knowing their goals, without knowing the data behind that person. In business, there's no way that you can recommend something with a good heart, right, and that's one thing that I've learned, that you know if someone's kind of guiding you down one path without knowing your backstory, you know that's not really fair to the client or company. So that's kind of what we do differently we also.

Speaker 3:

What separates us from a lot of people, in my opinion, of course, is what we like to do. Is we people like to say, hey, you know what, I got my CPA, I got my investment firm, I got this, I got that, and we're saying you know, that's perfectly fine, but when is the last time you've had all your financial people in one room, find out what your goals are and then know, concentrate on those goals? Most of the time, business owners and clients would say you know what? The cpa has no idea what the hitch with the hedge fund are the other companies doing, or the bookkeeper for that matter, and without getting everyone in one room and going over what's best for the client, it's really hard to say that you're doing what's best, and that's just my personal opinion.

Speaker 2:

Right, most definitely, because it's about the fruit of the person, where you can help to nurture them.

Speaker 3:

Yep absolutely.

Speaker 2:

So, Gaston, please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about Lone Star Financial Network, If there's the main takeaway you would like them to.

Speaker 3:

Sure, the main takeaway would be we are a subsidiary of a larger company. That company has been around for over 165 years, so we are tapped into a company that's seen almost everything. They've been around through the Great Depression, they've been around forever and the takeaway is we know it works, we know it doesn't work, and for us to have all these resources and all the technology you know, all we need is to meet someone where they're at financially, understand their situation, find out what their goals are and we can help.

Speaker 2:

So, gaston, what is the smallest amount of money someone can start with to go and see you as a financial advisor for our listeners here?

Speaker 3:

Sure, sure, you know there's a variety of different ways. You know some of my clients have kids and those kids they want them to have, you know, to build wealth. You know my two kids I have, a 15 and a nine year old. They both have plans and it's a permanent plan that builds cash value that they can tap into when they're ready to buy a car or a house and that is set up. I think my youngest one is like maybe $89 a month. My older one is maybe $95 a month, but you know I got it when they were early. It's about the wisdom behind what we do and what steps to take moving forward. We can forget about the money for right now. Let's just find out how we can help and zero in on that. Then we can talk about money. Most of the time people will come to me and say, hey, you know what I'm good, I'm good, and they don't realize that it has nothing to do with money. It has a lot to do with wisdom and the next steps where you're at, financially, most definitely.

Speaker 2:

And one final question for you today, mr Gaston For our listeners here who have their own families and they're looking to build a legacy, what is the best type of fund to put the money in for their future children, for it to build over time? Would that be more of a CD or a trust fund?

Speaker 3:

I think in my area. I think a permanent life insurance policy is what builds wealth, because there's two lanes to that. Let's just say we started at 10 years old 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. By the time they reach 65, keep in mind it doesn't expire. So as long as they break even on the payment side, if they decide later on that, they don't want to put any more money into it. If it builds enough and they break even, they really don't have to. But because it builds momentum and the money multiplies with interest, why wouldn't you?

Speaker 3:

Once you're reading 20, maybe 50 years, the money will start multiplying and you'll see those numbers in illustrations that we offer people. But I would say a permanent life insurance will be a great vehicle because they can tap into that cash that we offer people. But I would say a permanent life insurance will be a great vehicle because they can tap into that cash and the death benefit will grow with each payment. Now that death benefit will be passed on to the next generation. That is wealth being passed on. The cash value is something that the kids, teenagers, young adults and even older age can tap into. That and that builds along with the policy as well, and there's a variety of different ways to slice it. I would suggest just having some time to meet with me. That way we can find out what works best, you know.

Speaker 2:

Well, Gaston, I really appreciate you being on the show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much. I appreciate it greatly and thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPFriscocom. That's GNPFriscocom. Go to gnpfriscocom. That's gnpfriscocom. Or call 469-221-9345.