Meet Dionelle Rucker | Financial Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dionelle Rucker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dionelle, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“What we do in life, echoes in eternity” which is a quote from the movie Gladiator, is my favorite quote and something that I try to live by on a daily basis. To me, its means that whatever I do in life could have an impact that can’t be taken away. So I try to make sure that my actions are aligned with my goals so that I can achieve my purpose in life which I believe is helping as many people as I possibly can. Goals such as, creating jobs/opportunities for people to grow, philanthropy/giving back anyway possible and creating generational wealth for my family. I believe that we only have one shot at life and I want to maximize my potential so I can get the most out of it. I want to be remembered and respected for the lives I have touch and people that I have helped. I want my kids to lookup to me the same way I looked up to my father. This quote embodies my true belief in what the purpose of life is.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a financial consultant, I give my clients sound advice based on whatever their needs are. My background includes both accounting and finance, so I am able to give people a complete picture. I’m a CPA candidate as well as a licensed financial advisor. My primary services include tax preparation, money management and consulting.

What I believe sets me apart for the normal industry standard is my approach. I always try to take a down to earth and genuine approach to everyone’s situation. I put myself into my clients shoes. I always ask myself questions such as, “What would I do if I were in this person’s situation?” “If this were my business, how would I run it?” “If this was my tax return, what deductions would I look for?” etc. And I answer these questions based on my knowledge and experience. I consider myself on the same team as my clients and we are both fighting the same battle. I want all my clients to be successful in whatever their desires are and I try to help facilitate that goal as best as possible through my expertise.

How I got to this point in my career was not easy. Most people in the financial services industry are not in my demographic and look nothing like me. So, that was an uphill battle in itself. Trying to get comfortable enough in my own skin and building up the confidence to try to grow a book of business. After some time, I figured out how to use that to my advantage and I came to the conclusion of, just be yourself! So, I really just maintain being as solid as possible. Before I learned how to do taxes, it took me a few years even to find my first investment client. I met a CPA that taught me how to do taxes and things really took off from there. There were a lot of late nights, early mornings, sleepless nights, doubts, ups, downs, and tears but I just kept pushing forward.

I still learn new stuff every single day. Handling people’s most sensitive financial information, you learn a lot about how the world and money works. There are so many different ways people earn a living, so I applied a lot of that knowledge I learned to help my family and friends. Past that, I deal with so many people from so many different backgrounds, so I learned a lot about people in general. That’s the biggest lesson. I always explain to people, I could know how to tax returns all day long BUT if I don’t have anyone to do it for, then where is the value add?

I want the world to know that staying true to yourself and who you are will go a long way. I am blessed to say that I get paid just to be myself and I am grateful for it. I knew at a young age, I did not want to work a job where I am just another number. I wanted to actually make a positive impact in peoples lives. I worked really hard to get to this point and I don’t plan on stopping.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love my city! San Antonio has a lot to offer. There’s a lot to do here. Some of my favorite places to eat are Frederick’s Bistro, Mavericks Grill, Little Em’s Oyster Bar, Bliss, Southerleigh and Paloma Blanca, so I would definitely take them to those spots. For our night time spots, I would hit up Social House, The Well, Bentleys and Hills & Dales. If it’s someone that has never been to San Antonio, I would definitely suggest going downtown and visiting the Riverwalk and the Alamo. There are a lot of good places to eat and drink at The Pearl downtown as well. We also have Six Flags Fiesta Texas which is in an area called La Cantera/The Rim. There are good restaurants and places to shop in this area, so that’s definitely a must also!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are quite a few people that have played a role and will definitely receive the credit and recognition in my story when it is all said and done. My friends and mentors have done so much for me that they honestly probably have no idea how big of an impact that they have had in my life and I appreciate each one of them dearly. But my biggest shoutout goes to my parents, Daniel and Donna. My dad is the most successful person I know. He’s worked so hard in life and he set a great example. My mother is the most dependable person in my life and is a HUGE part of my support system. She’s my best teacher and my biggest influence. I would not be the man I am today without her. She will always get the most recognition and credit for the role she’s played in my life!

Instagram: druck007

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dionelle-rucker-46390667

Image Credits
Taylor Johnson / Danny Rucker / Yvonne Rubio