Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP# 268: Financial Peace Beyond the Portfolio Sam Rodriguez's Journey With Foundation Wealth Partners

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Sam Rodriguez with Foundation Wealth Partners a good neighbor?

Money decisions can feel overwhelming, even for financially responsible people. When your CPA says one thing, your broker another, and your estate attorney hasn't spoken to either—who's coordinating it all? For most of us, that burden falls squarely on our own shoulders.

Sam Rodriguez founded Foundation Wealth Partners to solve this exact problem. Originally focused on helping baby boomers navigate retirement confidently, the firm now primarily serves Generation X and older millennials who, despite earning well and saving diligently, question whether they're truly optimizing their financial lives. What distinguishes Sam's approach is his commitment to holistic planning over product sales. "At the core, we are planners first. We don't sell products," he explains, emphasizing how their team works to relieve the stress and guesswork that often accompany financial decision-making.

Drawing from personal experiences with financial struggles and family challenges, Sam brings profound empathy to his work. A particularly difficult period with his son's mental health reinforced his belief that "there are things far more important than money or success." This perspective shapes his approach to advising clients, recognizing that behind every financial decision stands a person trying to make the best choices with the one life they have. Foundation Wealth Partners serves as the coordinating hub many people lack, bringing together investments, taxes, college planning, and estate considerations under one cohesive strategy.

For those feeling uncertain about their financial direction despite doing "all the right things," Sam's message is clear: good planning doesn't happen in silos, and you shouldn't have to drive all over town trying to coordinate your financial life alone. Connect with Foundation Wealth Partners through their website, social media channels, or their "Money and Stuff" podcast to discover how integrated financial planning might bring clarity to your financial journey.

To learn more about Foundation Wealth Partners go to:

https://www.foundationwealthpartners.com/

Foundation Wealth Partners

469-678-8609


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 Foundation Wealth Partners company? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, sam Rodriguez, with Foundation Wealth Partners. Sam, how are you today?

Speaker 3:

I am good. How are you doing?

Speaker 2:

I'm also good and we're so excited to learn all about you and your business. Can you start by telling us a little bit about your company?

Speaker 3:

Sure, so I run a firm called Foundation Wealth Partners. As you said. Right, we are based here in North Texas. We're a financial planning firm. You know we were originally built around helping people retire. Well, you know, for years a lot of our clients were baby boomers. They were, you know, nearing or in retirement and wanting to make sure their money would last and that they wouldn't make any big mistakes as they really got to the finish line.

Speaker 3:

But you know, over time, what we've done is we've really geared more towards people in their 40s and 50s. You know we're seeing a lot of Generation X and older millennials who are, you know, maybe they're doing all the right things right, they're making good money, they're saving in their 401k, but they still feel unsure if they're actually on track or, you know, maybe something slipping through the cracks. So what we do is you know whether you're trying to retire and make smart, confident decisions about things like that or you just want to. Maybe you're making a good income now and you know you're in your prime working years and you need someone to coordinate all those moving parts like your investments and your taxes, maybe college planning, estate planning. We're here to help you with that. So at the core, we are planners.

Speaker 3:

First. We don't sell products. We really work hard to build relationships and really design strategies that are going to help you grow. You know, whether you're already retired or you're trying to figure out how to get there, we're just here to, you know, help take that stress and guesswork out and really just give you some financial peace.

Speaker 2:

Now Sam, how did you originally get started with this company?

Speaker 3:

Sure. So you know I don't think anybody grows up, you know, thinking or dreaming of being a financial planner. But I did grow up watching how money, or, you know, the lack of clarity around it, impacted people's lives. You know, even smart, successful people can feel overwhelmed when they're trying to make major financial decisions. And early in my career I worked for some really big firms that were technically doing financial planning, but in reality the plan was just sort of a setup for a product sale and I kept seeing the same patterns.

Speaker 3:

Right, People were, they were getting advice, but it was really siloed their CPA said one thing, their broker said another, their estate attorney had no idea what either one of those two were doing, and that didn't sit well with me. So I wanted to create something different, right, A firm where the planning actually came first, where we asked the right questions, we really listened deeply and we built a strategy around the whole process, not just their portfolio. So, you know, I started Foundation Wealth Partners with that mission in mind. I wanted to build a firm where, you know, people really didn't feel like they had to be the coordinator of their financial life. You know, we do that for them and we do it in a way that is values driven, it's transparent and it's built for the long haul. You know, to me this is something really personal. It's more than just their money. It's about helping people find purpose and feel confident with their money.

Speaker 2:

Now being in the industry that you're in, sam, what is the most common misconception you typically come across?

Speaker 3:

Oh man. So there's a few, but I would say first the first is that people think financial planning is just for really wealthy people. I think people assume if you don't have a million dollars or more sitting in an account, that a financial advisor won't talk to you or that you maybe don't need one. But just because someone doesn't have a high net worth doesn't mean they don't have high financial complexity. You know, it's often the people in their peak earning years that are balancing their income, their taxes, like I said, saving for college or, you know, maybe trying to make decisions around their mortgage, who really need that guidance the most, because the stakes are really high and they're doing it without a playbook. And so having someone that can help you along the way make really good decisions, so that way you can make the most of your money and make really smart money decisions, I think is very, very important.

Speaker 2:

Now, you mentioned that not everyone has to be a millionaire to start saving. So who are your target clients and, in terms of marketing, how do you stay attractive to them?

Speaker 3:

Sure. So, like I said earlier, traditionally our clients were baby boomers who were, you know, nearing or maybe they just got into retirement and, you know, I think what's important to realize now is that the older Generation X are now reaching that age. So, you know, we're kind of naturally transitioning from baby boomers to Generation X. But what we're also seeing is that, you know, the younger Generation X and the older millennials are also trying to be a lot more proactive and and start making smarter money decisions earlier in life. So, you know, right now we're really seeing a lot of people, maybe in their late 30s to early 50s, wanting to plan ahead and make decisions around their complete financial life.

Speaker 3:

As far as how we stay connected with them or how we get introduced, you know the majority of our clients come to us now through referrals. You know current clients introducing us to their friends and their family. But we also do a lot of workshops around town. We do a lot of educational workshops where we really explain how different aspects of people's financial lives work. So that way, if they have a question that they're just trying to get answered, they can get those answers and if they want to talk to us, they can talk to us afterwards. But we also have, you know, a podcast and we, you know, we have all of our social media channels where people can connect with us as well, and people find us through there and stay connected with us that way.

Speaker 2:

Let's go ahead and switch gears for a second Sam. Let's go ahead and switch gears for a second sam. Can you describe a hardship or life challenge you personally went through, whether in personal life or business, and how it made you a better and stronger person today?

Speaker 3:

you know, um, I think life's hard for all of us at different times. You know I've had my fair share of financial struggles. I've lost people that I love. You know I've faced seasons where I didn't have a clue what I was doing or where I was headed, and, you know, starting this firm you might say that was one of those times right, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. You know, there was a real chance it wasn't going to work and I remember thinking, you know, we might lose everything, we might lose our house. You know what am I doing.

Speaker 3:

But I think that's the thing, right, Like life doesn't stop coming at you. And what I've learned is that when you have someone who can help you sort of zoom out, see the bigger picture and make you, you know, help you make calm, thoughtful decisions. You know it doesn't make life easy, but it makes life manageable. It helps you focus on what matters instead of only seeing the hard things that are happening to you at the time. You know, a few years ago, our son went through a really tough emotional time, some mental health struggles, and you know, as a parent, that was really scary, but it also gave me a lot of clarity. You know, it reminded me that there are things that are far more important than money or success, and money should be the tool that helps us protect and enjoy the things that we care about, not the thing that we center our lives around. And you know, that season really changed everything for me.

Speaker 3:

It changed how I show up as a father, as a husband and as an advisor to our clients, because you know, behind every financial decision there is a person right. There is someone trying to hold it all together or just trying to make the best decisions they can, because they know they really only get one shot at this and sometimes they just need someone to help them see the forest from the trees 100% I agree with you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for sharing that advice with our audience today. What is one main takeaway you would like our listeners today to gather from foundation wealth partners overall?

Speaker 3:

I'd say the one thing that I wish people really understood is that your advisor really shouldn't just be here to help you grow your portfolio. They should be there to help you make better decisions across your entire financial life. Most people who come to us, like I said, they're already doing well. They've got good jobs, they're saving, they're responsible, but they're still not sure if it's all working together. They've got an accountant in one place, an insurance agent in another, maybe an estate attorney they haven't talked to for years and none of them are talking to each other.

Speaker 3:

So everything feels very disjointed and what we really work hard to do at Foundation Wealth Partners is put all of that together. We don't just give advice, we act as the hub. You need a cohesive plan, not five sets of disconnected recommendations. So our team includes professionals who handle each of those things. We have an expert for each of those areas and we work together to make sure everything is going to be aligned with each other, because good planning, it doesn't happen in the those things. We have an expert for each of those areas and we work together to make sure everything is going to be aligned with each other, because good planning, it doesn't happen in these silos and we don't believe that you should have to drive all over town trying to coordinate your financial life by yourself. Right, we work hard to make it cohesive, integrated and really tailored to you and your life.

Speaker 2:

And where can our listeners go to learn more about Foundation Wealth Partners?

Speaker 3:

Sure. The easiest way to find us is to visit our website at foundationwealthpartnerscom. We're also on all the socials. You can find us on LinkedIn. You can find us on Facebook. You can connect with me. You can connect with me on Instagram. My handle is Sam Talks, money and Stuff. We have our podcast, money and Stuff Podcast. You can you know, on the website you can go. There's a link where you can connect with us, ask for information. There you can find out about how we work and what it's like to talk with us.

Speaker 2:

And if you're here at DFW, you know we're always happy to meet in person if you want to. Well, sam, I really appreciate you being on the show.

Speaker 1:

We wish you and your business the best moving forward. Thanks a lot. 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. Or call 469-221-9345. Thank you.