We recently connected with Gerald Hendrik and have shared our conversation below.

Gerald , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

Thank you so much for the opportunity to jump on with yall today. It is an honor.

As a financial advisor I often get asked what is my best investment or worst investment I have made so this is a great question. In this story, I will tell you about a good investment I made that had a terrible outcome.

So about 10 yrs. ago when Facebook had its IPO (Initial Public Offering), I had the opportunity to invest once the stock hit the secondary market. I remember I bought Facebook for around $42 dollars a share. Facebook hit its all-time low of $17.55 within months of its IPO and I sold my shares for around $18 dollars. A loss of over 50%. OUCH.

Facebook went on to reached well above $350 a share. It has since come down however I would still be sitting pretty if I never sold at the near bottom. So yes, financial advisors are human.

On the flipside, my best investment ever was Apple. The company has just been an incredible investment for me over the past decade +.

(This is in no way an investment recommendation for anyone reading. Know that all investment come with risk. Do your homework or reach out to a trusted professional.)

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Rockwall Wealth Advisors was created by my wife Melanie Hendrik and I to help the community with all of their financial service needs. Well over a decade ago I was able to obtain my series 7, 66, & 63 licenses as well as get my CDFA® later on in my career. I realized once I had the resources from a compliance perspective to open up my own firm that I would regret it if I did not take that leap of faith. It was our opportunity to help clients while creating a desirable lifestyle for our family and employees. Things have gone better than we could have ever expected and we were able to create a firm that we envisioned.

With that being said, Rockwall Wealth Advisors is an innovative, independent wealth management firm providing fee-only financial planning advice and investment management to motivated individuals. With RWAs wealth management services, they get access to technology and financial planning designed to create and grow their net worth. As a fiduciary, our goal is to provide clients with the right strategy to maximize their financial potential so they can enjoy what is important. Our office is located at the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce.

I have experience and expertise as a financial planner helping families manage their wealth and individuals get through trying times.

I specialize in many different areas including divorce, working with motivated individual/couples, retirement planning, other life transitions (death, job loss, etc.), risk management, traditional investments, and sophisticated investment options.

While our office is located at the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce building, we can work with clients all of the country.

Outside of work, Melanie and I currently spend our time making memories with family, attending community events, or with our awesome church (cLife). We have 3 amazing kids (Mackenzie, Witten, and Sawyer) that are keeping up pretty busy at the moment and I am extremely privileged to be a dad and husband. Along with being a business owner, I am serving on the board of directors for the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce, The Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Texas, and the American Lung Association.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Great question. I cannot say if my approach is the best way or not to effectively grow clientele, but I have really focused on building my business locally and it is paid off. I am not targeting clients all over the USA but focusing my efforts and energy on building relationships in my city and surrounding cities. I have devoted a lot of time and energy to the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce. They provide an amazing platform for business owners to grow relationships which later turns into leads or new clients. Through those relationships I am now privileged to serve and give back to the community. Getting involved was a big step in the success I have seen.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I wouldn’t say it is a lesson I unlearned however a sales strategy that I unlearned/pivoted from. When I first started in the financial industry the way to get business was by picking up the phone and cold calling. I would say that particular strategy to acquire new clients is dead to an extent. NO one answers unknown phone numbers anymore. So now, so much of my business is building relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.RockwallWealthAdvisors.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geraldhendrikrockwallwealthadvisors
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/gerald-hendrik
• Other: [email protected]