Tony Rangel, CLU, FICF, was more almost 200 miles from home, driving between Houston, Texas, and the Louisiana border when his phone rang.
“Can you come back? Now?”
The voice on the other end was calm but urgent. A longtime client’s husband had taken a sudden turn for the worse, and the family wanted Rangel there.
When a client calls in crisis, an advisor’s response can either strengthen that relationship for life, or leave the client feeling lost and unsupported. Without hesitation, he turned the car around and drove straight to the hospital.
By the time he arrived, the room was filled with grief. The hum of medical monitors mixed with the hushed voices of family members gathered around the bedside. Moments later, he passed away.
Rangel didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Instead, he simply stood beside his client, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He was there, literally and figuratively, when she needed him the most.
Now an agency leader as well as a producer, Rangel didn’t always know how to handle moments like this. His ability to step into emotionally charged situations with confidence didn’t come from textbooks or industry seminars. It came from mentorship — learning from seasoned professionals who showed him how to be present for clients in their most difficult moments.
“Sometimes, there are no perfect words,” he said. “But there is always the ability to be there, to be a calm presence in the room. That’s what clients will remember.”
That perspective now shapes the way he mentors younger advisors. Rangel brings them into high-pressure conversations whenever possible, encouraging them to shadow experienced colleagues during meetings about estate planning, end-of-life discussions and other tense topics. He debriefs with them afterward.
At Rangel’s agency, every new advisor is paired with a successful mentor — someone who once benefited from the same kind of guidance.
“Being a true success story isn’t just about your own numbers. It’s about reaching back and helping the next person,” he said.
Darin Painter is a freelance writer and editor in Strongsville, Ohio, USA, and owner of the content development business Writing Matters (www.writingmatters.com).
Contact: Tony Rangel, thomas.rangel@kofc.org
