People of ProsperUS: Shayla Davis

Edited by Christiane Radford

My name is Shayla Unik Davis, Human Resources director for an architecture firm and creator of Unik I Am, LLC. Finances are something I had to learn to take seriously. Once upon a time, due to poor decisions and mistakes, I was barely able to make ends meet. My personal trials inspired me to start a small business to help other young women in resume writing, tutoring, HR resources, and mentoring.

When I was accepted into ProsperUS’s entrepreneurship training program, I thought was only receiving “classroom style” instruction. Boy, was I wrong! There have been many development opportunities. I was presented with a life changing opportunity: a financial coach! In late 2019, I met with Crystal King, my financial coach. I knew I had to take the sessions seriously, actually listen, and follow through. When Crystal pulled my credit score, I was slightly embarrassed. She assured me that everything was going to be okay, but we had a lot of work to do. Over the next few months, we created budget sheets, financial statements, letters to creditors, and frequently checked in. Crystal was the financial whisperer; every time I was on the verge of being sidetracked, she would call to check-in. Often, I would check my accounts, wanting to stray, but hear Crystal’s voice saying, “Let’s pay this off”. I began using the extra money towards debts. Approximately six months after starting my journey with Crystal, my credit score has gone up almost one-hundred points! Aside from a few student loans, I have one more debt to pay off then I will be debt free! I’m so grateful for ProsperUS and Crystal King for supporting me on this journey.