How we grow up and what we are exposed to during our formative years can have a big impact on who we become – Derek Wolf tells the story of his fortunate upbringing, which shaped who he is to this day.
Being born into a blue-collar working family who had an entrepreneurial focus, Derek Wolf came into this world with meaning and purpose, one that he would come to establish over the years, but not discover until later on in life.
Wolf spent his childhood in the scenic countryside of Texas in a small farm town, where he watched his father, who worked for Lone Star Milk Transport, and his mother, who served as a civilian instructor for the Air Force, work hard to create the life he was so gratefully born into.
By the time Wolf was born, his father had chosen to leave the dairy industry and advance to the position of Head of Fleet Maintenance for a major dairy transportation company, and by the time Wolf was two years old, his father had built his mother her dream house. Wolf’s mother had also decided to leave her job at the Air Force Base in order to spend more time with her children, including young Wolf.
With Wolf’s father working for the dairy produce transportation company, Wolf spent the majority of his childhood by his mother’s side, learning the ins and outs of the paperwork side of business, such as taxes, payrolls, and so on. Wolf had no idea that this would become a significant part of his career and life. Once Wolf was around 12 years of age, his older brother left for college, and his father started to teach him more about farm life and allow Wolf to help out in any way he could
Wolf’s father was a hardworking man who did well for himself in order to support his family. However, hard work comes with a price, and the drama of working for others eventually catches up with young Wolf’s father.
“At this point, my dad had decided to leave Lone Star Milk Transportation so that he could leave behind the hassles and drama of working for someone else and decided to start his own Trucking Transportation Company,” said Wolf.
As Wolf grew older, he watched his older brother and sister forge their own paths and launch their own businesses, with his brother starting a pressure washing company and his sister launching a local boutique shop. Wolf’s development and growth were fueled by a desire to be a contributing member of society like his siblings and father.
After completing his high school education, Wolf devoted his time to his family, offering whatever assistance he could, working many hours for his father’s trucking company and with cattle, and even more hours as a rig supervisor for his brother’s business. Wolf had also been mowing lawns since he was about ten years old and had continued to do so over the years.
Even with his devotion to helping his family’s businesses and striving to make as much money as possible, Wolf continued to forge his own path, attending college full-time and searching for his calling along the way.
Eventually, Wolf went on to graduate from Midwestern State University with a degree in Economics and Business with a concentration in Finance.
“After I graduated, I went on to start working 70-90 hour weeks, working whatever job I could – from my family’s businesses to my own endeavors,” said Wolf. “It wasn’t until I saw an opportunity through insurance that my life really started to have meaning.”
Wolf saw something in insurance that few others did not. He realized that, despite the fact that he already had life insurance, there were ways to use it to work for himself while he was still alive.
“Many do not see this opportunity cost of the value of their dollar, as many do not think in this manner,” said Wolf.
With the guidance of an unexpected friend met through a popular social media app “TikTok,” Wolf ventured into this new prospect of his life with the support of his growing family and friends.
With this decision, Wolf feels as though he has a tremendous purpose and intention in his life, which he is exploring and using to help people in his community and beyond.
Today, Wolf is the founder of Howling Wolves Financial Services, where he serves as a senior field specialist along with his team members across the United States.
In the future, Wolf hopes that in addition to growing his agency, he will be able to make a positive impact on the world, shed light on the lessons he has learned growing up, and be recognized as the influential person he has become.
“I want to be able to do things for my family, for my daughter, and eventually, our other children,” Wolf explained. “And I also want to make a difference in the world by helping break the stigma toward the industry and help individuals realize how to utilize life insurance to the best of their ability.”
To learn more about Derek Wolf and Howling Wolves Financial Services, please click here.
