Parker County Today Dec. 2018 | Page 36

our business: TALK WITH A BUSINESS INNOVATOR Gabe Grote — Director of Investments at Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.  It’s Not About Dollars and Cents — It’s About People and The Future 34 Parker County Today: What did you do before you got into your current business?  Gabe Grote: I started my career in pharmaceutical sales and made the switch to the financial industry because I wanted to focus on the needs of my clients and delivering ideas, advice and insight to try and help them achieve their goals.   PCT: What is your passion in starting this business?  GG: Helping people make strides toward a better financial future.   PCT: What made you decide to switch companies? GG: I was responsible for a very large territory that went from DFW to West Texas. I saw an opportunity to pursue my passion and gladly made the switch to the financial industry.   PCT: How did you get into this field? GG: I was a client of a financial firm, and I was always being recruited by my advisor because of my ability to connect with people. My advi- sor said he thought I would be a good fit for the industry. I told him that, “I am not a stock picker!” He told me this career was more about Gabe Grote asking good questions and listening to your client’s needs than it was about picking stocks. As I learned more about what an advisor did on a daily basis, the more I thought it was a good fit for my personality and the skills I had devel- oped.  PCT: What do you do in your day to day?  GG: No day is exactly the same. I am either calling clients from my office, or I am in Weatherford meeting with clients and prospec-