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

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

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a financialadvising company with a holistic
approach?
Well, one may be closer thanyou think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
gaston Garza, with his company,lone Star Financial Network.
Gaston, how are you today?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm doing well.
I'm coming at you live fromdowntown Dallas.
We have a national conventionand I just wanted to make sure I
made it.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
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 (00:48):
Absolutely, Absolutely.
We are in the Frisco area, nearthe star.
It's called Lone Star FinancialNetwork.
We generally have a holisticapproach in regards to financial
planning.
We have a variety of differentthings.
I would kind of break it downin three different silos.
There's an investment part,where we do investments at the

(01:11):
firm.
Then we also have theprotection you know having
individuals protect their wealthand their family, and then, of
course, the financial planningside.
You know we have a variety ofdifferent resources.
What we typically do is justhave a brief conversation.
We meet people where they're atfinancially, find out what

(01:32):
their goals are, their passions,and then we regroup, we offer
some recommendations and thenhelp our clients both
individuals, business owners andcompanies get to where they
need to be.
And we have a variety ofdifferent resources.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
So, gaston, how did you get into this business?

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Well, you know what it goes back to my calling.
Believe it or not, I'm fromHouston.
I had very humble beginningsand I had one of the worst days
of my life, which became thebest day of my life, is I was a
victim of a carjacking in 2003.

(02:14):
And what happened?
Very briefly, some individualscame at me and I tried to get
away.
They shot in the car and theyhit my leg three times.
Now here's where it getsinteresting.
You know 03, the hardware toput my leg back together.
04, they took all the hardwareout and then 05, I got a knee

(02:38):
replacement.
So those three years were theworst years of my life.
I can technically say I hitrock bottom years were the worst
years of my life.
I can technically say I hitrock bottom.
Now, what happened is, duringthat last surgery, I hit such a
low point in my life that onlyhad one place to look up and
that was God.
So in a hospital bed, Ibasically lifted my hands,

(03:00):
reached up to the sky and tearssurrendered to God.
I told.
I told him just plain simple Idon't know what you want me to
do, I don't even know where tobegin, but whatever you want me
to do I will do.
From that moment forward, mylife completely changed.
I moved to Dallas in 06 for anopportunity.
I worked for a energy companycalled Stream Energy, which was

(03:24):
very successful.
Then I moved to a variety ofdifferent startup companies.
I had a really good friendwhose name is Mr Alex Rodriguez,
alejandro Rodriguez.
He was my best friend growingup and he gave me a shot and
that's all I needed.
The rest was wisdom, blessings,and then I took off.

(03:46):
I did start in a cleaningcompany, 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, andthat's he wanted me to help
people.
So I share my testimony and notonly do I help people
spiritually, now I'll helppeople financially and it is a

(04:07):
dream job for me and you know Idon'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 atand I'm grateful to help people
and I would love to help anyone, any business that comes across
my table.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Wow, what an amazing backstory you have, and it truly
speaks.
I mean, god can only work withus once we're fully surrendered
to him.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
It's like you don't know what you don't know.
But then, once you realize thathe's real, and my goodness, he
reveals himself to you and I'lljust leave it at that.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
Amazing and I really could talk with you about this
topic.
I promise you all day long, butwe have to get to our next
question.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
Absolutely, I totally get it.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
What is the most common myth or misconception you
come across in your industry?

Speaker 3 (05:10):
I would have to say.
Here's what I hear from theground.
I hear that a lot ofindividuals in my industry will
kind of lead people one way.
One way, and what we docompletely different is we don't

(05:34):
offer any recommendationswithout knowing the client and
the company's backstory, withoutknowing their goals, without
knowing the data behind thatperson.
In business, there's no waythat you can recommend something
with a good heart, right, andthat's one thing that I've
learned, that you know ifsomeone's kind of guiding you
down one path without knowingyour backstory, you know that's

(05:59):
not really fair to the client orcompany.
So that's kind of what we dodifferently we also.
What separates us from a lot ofpeople, 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 gotthis, I got that, and we're
saying you know, that'sperfectly fine, but when is the

(06:19):
last time you've had all yourfinancial people in one room,
find out what your goals are andthen know, concentrate on those
goals?
Most of the time, businessowners and clients would say you
know what?
The cpa has no idea what thehitch with the hedge fund are
the other companies doing, orthe bookkeeper for that matter,

(06:41):
and without getting everyone inone room and going over what's
best for the client, it's reallyhard to say that you're doing
what's best, and that's just mypersonal opinion.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
Right, most definitely, because it's about
the fruit of the person, whereyou can help to nurture them.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yep absolutely.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
So, Gaston, please tell our listeners one thing
they should remember about LoneStar Financial Network, If
there's the main takeaway youwould like them to.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Sure, the main takeaway would be we are a
subsidiary of a larger company.
That company has been aroundfor over 165 years, so we are
tapped into a company that'sseen almost everything.
They've been around through theGreat Depression, they've been

(07:35):
around forever and the takeawayis we know it works, we know it
doesn't work, and for us to haveall these resources and all the
technology you know, all weneed is to meet someone where
they're at financially,understand their situation, find

(07:56):
out what their goals are and wecan help.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
So, gaston, what is the smallest amount of money
someone can start with to go andsee you as a financial advisor
for our listeners here?

Speaker 3 (08:08):
Sure, sure, you know there's a variety of different
ways.
You know some of my clientshave kids and those kids they
want them to have, you know, tobuild wealth.
You know my two kids I have, a15 and a nine year old.
They both have plans and it's apermanent plan that builds cash
value that they can tap intowhen they're ready to buy a car

(08:30):
or a house and that is set up.
I think my youngest one is likemaybe $89 a month.
My older one is maybe $95 amonth, but you know I got it
when they were early.
It's about the wisdom behindwhat we do and what steps to

(08:51):
take moving forward.
We can forget about the moneyfor right now.
Let's just find out how we canhelp and zero in on that.
Then we can talk about money.
Most of the time people willcome 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 wisdomand the next steps where you're

(09:17):
at, financially, most definitely.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
And one final question for you today, mr
Gaston For our listeners herewho have their own families and
they're looking to build alegacy, what is the best type of
fund to put the money in fortheir future children, for it to
build over time?
Would that be more of a CD or atrust fund?

Speaker 3 (09:39):
I think in my area.
I think a permanent lifeinsurance policy is what builds
wealth, because there's twolanes to that.
Let's just say we started at 10years old 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.
By the time they reach 65, keepin mind it doesn't expire.

(10:01):
So as long as they break evenon the payment side, if they
decide later on that, they don'twant to put any more money into
it.
If it builds enough and theybreak even, they really don't
have to.
But because it builds momentumand the money multiplies with

(10:22):
interest, why wouldn't you?
Once you're reading 20, maybe 50years, the money will start
multiplying and you'll see thosenumbers in illustrations that
we offer people.
But I would say a permanentlife insurance will be a great
vehicle because they can tapinto that cash that we offer
people.
But I would say a permanentlife insurance will be a great
vehicle because they can tapinto that cash and the death
benefit will grow with eachpayment.

(10:44):
Now that death benefit will bepassed on to the next generation
.
That is wealth being passed on.
The cash value is somethingthat the kids, teenagers, young
adults and even older age cantap into.
That and that builds along withthe policy as well, and there's
a variety of different ways toslice it.
I would suggest just havingsome time to meet with me.

(11:09):
That way we can find out whatworks best, you know.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
Well, Gaston, I really appreciate you being on
the show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (11:20):
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it greatly andthank you.

Speaker 1 (11:26):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPFriscocom.
That's GNPFriscocom.
Go to gnpfriscocom.
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