Story of the Debt Survivor
Finance Expert Shares Financial Gems and Own Debt Survivor Testimony on Becoming Financially Free
I find that credit and finances is something that we learn about after we have already ruined it. Credit was something that I ruined at an early age and only repaired it because I later discovered how beneficial it was. I have now committed myself to assist others on their journey to having a credit score that they can be proud of. With a little time, diligence and patience I know that together we can get you back on track.
As The Debt Survivor, I am committed to helping you through your own journey of surviving debt. | Ebony Cochran
It is a such thing though. It just takes determination and consistency. Even when you see, in the New Year, everybody on board to lose weight and then by March it’s like, “yeah… whatever.” Nobody really stays consistent and those who do, they have the summer body because they started in the winter. It’s the same with finances. If it’s something that you truly want to do, you will change all aspects that relates to it. Even with me coming from poverty, I was never really taught money, and credit and things like that. That came about later in life. When it was certain things that I wanted to do where those things hindered me. So I kind of had to at that point. I had to learn about. I had to put those things in place to be able to get those things. And then it came to a point where I was like, “I kind of like this peace.” I like that creditors aren’t calling me. My utility bill isn’t in the red anymore, like I like that. I being able to swipe my card and it says, “Approved.” It just became something that came over me, like I want to keep this going – like this isn’t like some type of diet I’m on, this is really just my lifestyle now. I think that’s what people really have to adopt. This isn’t something where I give you some tips and you do it one time and your whole life is going to change. This is something that you’re going to have to continuously do in order to really see the change.
I agree with Ebony on this, but I’m in no way excluding myself from those who talk about building and rebuilding financial health and yet never really stick to it. It’s definitely a process that doesn’t heal itself over night. Besides making a firm decision that you no longer want to struggle financially, you must be committed to putting in the work.
Teen mom… had this kid… on welfare and I remember one year trying to find a tax preparer to prepare my taxes and everybody was booked or either they were charging this horrendous amount money to prepare my taxes. So I prepared my own. It went well and then I remember one of my cousins asked me to do hers. I charged her something really minor like fifty dollars. Then she brought me all of these people – that’s how I started an income tax company. It grew so fast and by the next season, I went and got an office suite because I was doing it in my home and I didn’t want all of these people running in and out of my house with this child. So I went and got an office suite. I paid one of my cousins to do some street promo with flyers – this was pre- Facebook, and Instagram and all that stuff. Grassroots. The first day at the office it was a line waiting for me. One of the photos that I post to this day is a picture of my first business card and my ATM receipt that reflects, one hundred thousand dollars in my bank account.
I always tell people to start right where you are. People feel like, “oh well I’m on welfare, I can’t start a company or I don’t have the mind frame to make these kind of moves.” I’m trying to show you that it’s possible. I was that same person. I had that company for about ten years and I remember moving down the street from an H&R location. I remember thinking, “I’m going to take all of their clients. I’m better than them. I’m going to take them all.” That was like my campaign. The campaign went so well, they wanted to buy me out. I was like no, I don’t want to do that, but thanks for letting me know that I’m hurting you. Within that time, I got married… I got saved and then something within me was like, you’re supposed to be doing something else. So I let them buy me out. I told them I needed a two-year employment contract because my clients weren’t going to just go to H&R Block. Think about it. I’ve been talking about them for years, so I knew my clients weren’t just going to go to them because I sold to them. So when they hired me, it showed me a lot about how they ran their company and their products. One of the products that they offered was a Refund Loan. Now the way that they marketed the loan, it was based off of your refund. So if you got a really big refund, you would be offered a percentage of whatever that refund would be. So you may be like, “I know I get five thousand dollars every year so I should qualify for that loan.” Okay, so here’s what the small print was – it was based off of your credit. This was really right when I saw credit in my face. Like all day, every day. I could just tell that people didn’t understand credit and how it played a role in the approval process. It really made me want to look at my husband’s credit. When my contract was up – I didn’t have the business to run anymore. I started working on his credit and started posting on social media like, “hey I got this deleted and oh his score just went up fifty points!” People reached out asking me to assist them. In the midst of that I started praying, asking God, “What am I supposed to do now. Like you told me to get rid of this business, but I can’t sit at home and work on this man’s credit.” I want to do something with purpose.
I started partnering with local food banks and doing food giveaways and that was good, but it wasn’t fulfilling for me. I remember going to church one Sunday and the pastor preaching about prosperity and the lack of knowledge and I just remember hearing, “You’re already doing what I want you to do.” It was just so weird. I was only doing this for one person, and He’s sending me all these people and I’m turning them away. So then I said… okay, I’m going to launch this company. That’s how Blackwood Credit Services was really born.
So I guess you can say Blackwood Credit Services kind of just fell in her lap. I know exactly how amazing that feeling is. I remember praying about what I wanted to do and now I’m here sharing these empowering stories about incredible people just like Ebony. Not only is this a reminder of my own journey, but this should be an inspiration to yours. We all have a path to take and wherever we are led, that’s where our true purpose lies.
Soon after launching Blackwood Credit Services, Ebony fixed her desires on a large office suite. When she was approved for the space she didn’t think she would get, it was just confirmation that she was on the right track to working in purpose.
To date, I’ve worked with over 1,500 clients and in working with them, it’s taught me that a lot of their issues are because of their finances. That’s where Debt Survivor came from – to really show how I overcame debt just by turning this into a lifestyle, not just a diet. Showing them how I coupon and save money. How I coupon and have these sales where I purchase so many items for a dollar or fifty cents or I have this big weekend sale and bring in $6,000. Okay so now I can take this $6,000 and pay Sally Mae or I can pay my mortgage.
I did this thing called The Debt Survivor University. I crafted seven classes – each class really just ties into the things I’ve done over time to generate additional money. The first class was “Establishing Business Credit” because a lot of people are using their own money to fund these companies which is a no, no. Like that’s not how you’re not supposed to do it. This is why I don’t have to dig in my pocket for Blackwood, because Blackwood has credit and Blackwood pays its credit card… Blackwood pays its loan as opposed to Ebony paying it.
So then the second class is “How to Buy the Block on a Budget,” where I show people I purchased 52 properties for $500.
I must admit, when Ebony said she bought 52 properties… not one, but 52 for $500, my mouth flew open. If I wasn’t intrigued by all the nuggets she had already dropped, I was definitely leaning in closer to hear this…
I made a video and showed people the properties that I purchased. In the class I showed people how to look up deeds – like you don’t have to take my word for it; here’s the website where you can take a look for yourself.
The third class is the “Coupon” class and then the next class is “How to Start a Business.” Some people that I’ve ran into have businesses but don’t have an LLC or EIN. They just have social media pages.
I also have a lot of people trying to be homeowners, so I have a “Homeowners” class, but I teach them the credit component – they actually need to hear from a realtor and mortgage professional to introduce them to First-Time Home-buyer Programs, Down Payment Assistance Programs – just all of this stuff they don’t know other than they just want to buy a house.
And then we’re doing, “Let’s Talk Finance.” This is going to be my full finance seminar on budgeting and how to save – really on how to adopt this lifestyle. To end it, I’m going to wrap it all up, I’m going to do my infamous, “Let’s Talk Credit” seminar which is four hours. That’s going to wrap up the class. I know a lot of people who can’t attend so, I’m live streaming it.
This is totally awesome and I’m definitely looking forward to the Debt Survivor University video to be released so I can order it myself! Phenomenal information and awesome tips to improve your personal and business lifestyle… yeah I’m all for that!
While all of this is just fantastic, it made me wonder about how Ebony’s lifestyle before becoming financially free and the one thing that snapped her into a decision to make a change…
I was working at Wayne State as a student assistant with all ladies. I remember one of the ladies asking me to make her a copy. Then she stood up and asked, “You do know how to make a copy, right?” I never went back. I left that day and never went back. I was insulted and I felt like I needed to do better. I felt like she judged me based off my position. I felt like I was bigger than that and that I put myself in the position for her to talk to me that way. I felt like I took that job because it was easy and it wasn’t like me starting my own company because I would have to put some work in. So when I quit, the only thing I could do is put my all into that tax company.
I thank her. I remember her salary being like, $56,000 – my first deposit from the IRS was more than that. I mentally needed that number to say, “You talked to me that way and I made that in a week – your whole year salary.
Look at God!
Like the company makes that monthly now. I needed that though. I needed that lady to talk to me like that, to put that fire under my butt to say, “Go do your own thing. You write your checks!” If I see her, I’m going to hug her and tell her, “You don’t know how much you changed my life.”
I felt like shit when she told me that. Like I’m somebody mama girl! Yeah I’m a student assistant and making $10 an hour, but I’m grown. I was like okay. Let me start this entrepreneurial journey like right now.
That’s crazy, but honestly I’ve heard so many stories of successful business women/men coming into their purpose while beating the corporate pavement and somebody made them feel less than valuable or insulted their intelligence. Heck, I’ve been there! So I know exactly how hurtful it is for someone who knows nothing about you, feel entitled try to tear you down. Ebony told me, and I’ve heard this stated to me before, that it’s only because they see something in you that you don’t see. To add to that, you’ll have people try to totally rip you apart simply because they haven’t realized their own gifts let alone the purpose God set forth for them… so jealously and envy creep in.
I love the way Ebony took control of the situation by simply walking out. There are a number of foul phrases that would have crossed my mind (again, because I’ve been there), but the way she handled it was pure boss. She’s completely changed her life personally and financially and now using what she’s learned to help others do the same.
You’re not doing anything to make it better, it’s not going to get better on it’s on. I understand what my clients are going through because I’ve been through it already. I understand the feeling and the embarrassment behind it. Anything I can say about you, you can say about me, because I’ve been through the same thing. I think that’s why a lot of my clients respect me because I’m so transparent with my story. I scream that I was at a 486 (credit score). You can talk about me being at a 486, but I’m not there now. You can talk about me being on welfare, but I’m not on welfare now. The point is to change.
Now look at all the amazing accomplishments this woman has achieved and she’s still soaring! Being a single teenage mother to realizing that her life does not have to be dictated by her circumstances, she picked herself up and did what was needed to become financially free. If you read this from beginning to now, you see that she took what she was great at, prayed about it and made a change for the better. That’s an amazing testimony!
