My name is Regina L. Ward, I am the Chief Operating Officer, and Co-Owner of Hired Muscle Moving in Detroit, MI. I grew up in an environment where it was drilled into us that credit is important and that making sure to pay bills on time and saving money is a must. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t “sticking” as well as it “should” and every time I was in a groove, I fell off of it. Slowly, my credit was on the decline and it seemed that there was no way to fix it. It goes without saying that my credit is now less than perfect, therefore most finances are handled by my partner.
Upon entering the ProsperUs program in April 2020, we were told that we would be meeting with a financial advisor and that our personal finances would have to be looked at. Here’s where I began to understand the “why” of it all. I was a little nervous about the initial meeting with Crystal; how did I expect to run a whole business if I couldn’t run my “home” business? Upon meeting with her and taking a look at all of my information together, I began to see that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Don’t get me wrong, my credit score is not good, but the road to fixing it would be a journey, but as long as I stuck with it, I would be fine.
The most challenging part of this process was my budget (which I didn’t have) and seeing how I truly spent my money. With Crystal I realized that I was trying to change myself as a person instead of making my budget a picture of who I really am. I was able to see what I was spending, what I didn’t need to spend and how to make everything fit. Of course it’s not perfect and I’m still working on it, but I am now more comfortable with it all.
The best and most exciting thing was being able to apply for the twin account loan program where I would pay money towards a loan for one year and it would be matched. At the end of the year, the funds will be put on a secure credit card where I will be able to continue the journey of my credit repair!
In my business, I don’t want the burden to fall on my partner even though he is graciously understanding. Crystal and the financial coaching helped me to regain my power and to not feel embarrassed by my finances. She helped me understand that it’s all ok, nobody’s perfect and that the journey is the best part… And my credit score has actually gone up!!! I am super thankful to Crystal King and ProsperUs Detroit for meeting me where I was and helping me to see a bigger picture!
