Geordie M. Hrdlicka Geordie M. Hrdlicka, is the Principal of Verde Wealth Group, LLC in Houston, Texas and a Certified Financial Planner™. She helps her clients build a plan to create income for life and maintain their vision of financial freedom and security. As a specialist in retirement and wealth planning, Geordie helps her clients simplify the complex financial world so they can focus on what they value most.
With impeccable timing, Geordie transitioned from practicing law to the financial planning field in 1997, a few years before the tech bubble burst. She realized that guiding her clients through a financial planning process tailored to their goals, objectives and resources did not stave off uncertain markets but certainly placed clients in a better position to weather the inevitable storms.
Upon entering the career, Geordie obtained her FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 Registrations and Group 1 Life, Health and Variable Insurance License. In October 2001, Geordie acquired her Certified Financial Planner™ certification and passed the Certified Retirement Financial Advisor exam in 2008.
Growing up, Geordie's passions included animals, creative writing and music. Though she initially had her sights on vet school, her liberal arts side dominated and she headed to Trinity University, where she earned a B.A. in French and International Studies in 1988. She studied abroad her junior year at the University of Nice in France to strengthen her cultural understandings and eat some great cheese. After that year, she wanted to use her education and experiences to help people. She never forgot her desire to work with animals, however. After completing her undergraduate course work, she persuaded the proprietor of Wildlife on Wheels to hire her despite the fact that she did not hold a Wildlife Biology degree. Satisfied with Geordie's ability to learn the concepts and handle the animals, he sent her to teach all over Houston schools.
During that year, Geordie learned that there is a natural balance to life, and that animals, even if they like you, will bite you. Ultimately, Geordie learned that she could appreciate wildlife without being a vet.
Her curiosity* satisfied, Geordie moved on to law school to pursue her passion for helping people. While there, she experienced a little known benefit of law school seating chart rules and met her future husband, Jim Corbett.
After graduating from the University of Houston Law Center, Geordie and Jim both practiced civil litigation. Geordie discovered that Jim was a "fun" civil litigator, with great balance and a real skill for micro brewery. She also realized that practicing civil litigation was not for her and sought a more direct means to impact and help people.
Earning an LL.M. in Taxation from the same institution, Geordie developed her methodology for guiding others toward their definition of financial freedom and security. She admits that the connection between taxation and financial freedom is not readily apparent, which is why she is so good at what she does.
In 2007, Geordie received the Paul S. Mills Scholarship from the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals in recognition of her commitment to ethical practice, lifelong education and volunteerism within the field of financial services. When asked how she did it, she humbly admits that she was just being herself.
Professionally, Geordie is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar Association, the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the Houston Estate and Financial Forum (HEFF) and the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). She served as the President of the Downtown Area Women's Network (DAWN) in 2003 and continues as a member of the organization. She joined the Board of NAIFA-Houston (the local chapter of NAIFA) in 2004, served as the VP of Finance 2007-2008, President-Elect for 2008-2009 and President 2009-2010. She is a graduate of Leadership Houston (Class XXV), and LILI (Life in Leadership Institute).
Geordie served as an adjunct instructor for the Rice University CFP® Program in Fall and Spring 2007 and Spring 2008. She will teach and moderate for LILI in Texas in 2012 -2013. Attendees should skip the apples in favor of chocolate cupcakes, preferably Sprinkles.
Currently, Geordie volunteers for the Women's Resource, an organization committed to financial literacy and participates as a reading volunteer in her daughter Katja's classroom at School of the Woods. She also joined a committee at Duschesne Academy to assist with their capital campaign efforts.
When Geordie is not guiding clients through the complex financial world, she enjoys traveling with her family, writing stories with Katja, languages, yoga, dancing and animals. She resides in Houston with her husband Jim Corbett and their daughter, Katja.
With Katja's love of travel, singing, dancing and performing in general, Geordie can see her becoming an actress. Geordie will make sure she's a financially literate one.
*Curiosity like the market can be a dangerous thing. While you can't control it, you can always minimize risk. Ask us how.
Geordie Hrdlicka welcomes anyone interested in a wealth management career to borrow directly from her above mentioned career path (Jim and Katja not included).
"If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be,
we help them become
what they are capable of becoming."
-Goethe
