Today we’d like to introduce you to Terri Couser.
Terri, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When you look at someone, you never know their story. When you start to achieve levels of success, your outer appearance is always polished. The focus is on what you’ve accomplished, but not on why.
My story starts with parents who both struggled with addiction. This led to me being in foster care, group homes, and ultimately becoming a mother at seventeen. I was broken, confused, and scared most of the time. The truth about our beginning isn’t shared for fear of judgment, ridicule, and even shame.
I’ve learned to not be a victim of your circumstances. Those same scars that tormented me are the reason why I’ve been able to beat the odds. Becoming a mother at a young age changed my perspective. It gave me a reason why. I promised myself that my son would not grow up under the same conditions as me. I became relentless with my goals.
I graduated on time with the rest of my class and walked the stage with my son on my hip. That was the start of my mind shift that has built the woman I am today. I couldn’t attend college right after high school, so I opted for a certificate program that would give me the computer skills to secure a decent job. Supporting my family was my only objective. I was blessed to find a few positions early on that provided opportunities that changed the entire trajectory of my life. They groomed me.
I learned how to look good on paper which led to the purchase of my first home at the age of twenty-one. I went on to obtain two degrees from Villanova University and started my own consulting firm in 2016. What started as an idea, eventually manifested into reality as a result of my personal testimony.
As part of my personal growth, I also learned the power of forgiveness. I reconciled my relationship with my biological mother and had an adult relationship with her that was priceless until she passed in 2017. This taught me the importance of breaking the cycle and leading by example.
I’m passionate about empowering and educating others about financial literacy and leveraging credit to build wealth because it provides important options. Conversations about investing, saving, building a business, leaving an inheritance, and legacy are not taught often in certain communities. Now, I have clients from all walks of life who hire me for various reasons. The feedback I hear the most is that they weren’t taught about credit or financial literacy in school, college, or from their parents.
I now have three sons who push me to be better and do better daily. I’ve just started to become more comfortable with sharing my story. It matters. My clients are the foundation of my business, but I dedicate time monthly in the community to train and coach. As a business owner, I believe it’s our responsibility to give back. When failure isn’t an option, success is inevitable. I’m living proof.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
* You have to SHIFT your mindset to transition from an employee to being self-employed. Having a mentor, connecting with the right network, being faith-based, understanding your “reason WHY”, reading, writing daily in your journal, and learning to INVEST in you are critical to your success. As YOU grow, so will your business, your vision and your purpose. People underestimate the IMPORTANCE of PERSONAL GROWTH and it’s exact correlation to your long term success.
* You must be willing to sacrifice to grow your vision. You may have to work on your website and miss that girls outing, answer emails while everyone else is at a party, not get new furniture so you can hire a new employee or not treat yourself to a new car while you funnel those dollars back into your marketing budget. You must learn to sacrifice in a season to get what you want for a lifetime. Our society has an “instant gratification” ideology where we want everything immediately. Learning to sacrifice is delayed gratification and discipline.
* It’s VERY hard for new business owners to get over the emotional hurt when the people they love and care about don’t support their dream. Not everyone is going to support, encourage or help you. Honestly, not everyone is happy for you or even believes you can do it. The people you expect to support you sometimes will not, and then your strongest supports will come from people you never imagined. Don’t get hung up on other people’s actions or opinions. ALWAYS remember your “reason WHY” and use that as motivation to go harder. You OWE it to yourself to be widely successful. Trust me, they SEE you whether you know it or not. Everyone is watching. Do it for yourself and your legacy.
CARE Consulting – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
C.A.R.E. stands for Consulting, Awareness, Readiness and Education. I did a soft launch of my business in 2016 and incorporated in 2017 with the GOAL of breaking generational cycles of poverty through (1) financial literacy education (2) learning to leverage your credit to build wealth, and (3) investing.
My consulting firm helps our clients look good on paper, so they can leverage their credit to obtain assets and leave a legacy for their families. The foundation is to acquire cash flowing properties, create passive income, and to invest.
We specialize in personal credit, business credit, first time home buyers, and real estate financing for investors. Creating multiple streams of income translates into the community having a positive net worth, and not debt. Too many people use their credit for things that depreciate in value and do not positively impact their future like cars, clothes, furniture, jewelry, etc. When you become educated about the power of leverage, you can learn to use your credit to secure assets instead of liabilities like purchasing a duplex, living in one unit and renting out the other unit (house hacking).
We’ve helped countless people from across the nation, and from all walks of life, transition from “earned income” which is taught in schools and relies on wages, salaries, and commissions, to business income & investment income.
Our knowledge, skills, experience, results, and endorsements set apart from others in this industry. I use to work for Trans Union directly. There are less than a dozen people in the nation who are in personal credit consulting who have actually worked for a national bureau. It may honestly be less than 5 the last time I checked. Being trained by a bureau and updating THOUSANDS of reports across the nation gives you a level of knowledge you cannot buy, learn in an online course or read in a book. This is why I pride my business on doing things the right way and also educating clients so they can maintain and grow their credit long term. I’m also Board certified and Credit Score Certified. Many in my industry are not. This means I’m recognized by a national association for the work and experience I have.
Lastly, it’s VERY easy with social media today for people to create a page, call themselves a credit expert and to get customers. This is why I tell me to pay attention to their endorsements. It’s one thing to call yourself “an expert”, but it’s an entirely different level when OTHER trusted brands call you an expert. I’ve done several events with Eric Thomas, the #1 motivational speaker in the world (Rebuild Event 7/2020 & Philadelphia Verified Event 8/2019), I’m the “Credit Coach” for Jemal King’s (@9to5millionaire) “Make Real Estate Real” online course, and I partner with tons of others brokers, realtors plus trusted brands like Better Than Success Real Estate League in Philadelphia, PA.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is being able to wake up every morning and use your gift to impact lives. I’m blessed. I absolutely love what I do, The work can be tedious, but the outcomes are priceless. To help people buy their first home, start a business, or become an investor makes me remember why I do this on the hard days. When I leave this earth, there will be someone whose life is better as a result of allowing me to help them. It’s all about giving back. I’m not necessarily passionate about credit. I’m passionate about leaving a legacy for the generations coming behind you. Many of us did not have someone leave us a huge inheritance or trust fund or even property. I empower people to break that cycle. YOU be the first one to build the empire and then leave it for your kids, grandkids, and great grandkids who haven’t even been born yet. It’s all about breaking the cycle, leading by example, and not being a victim of your circumstance.
Pricing:
- Credit Jumpstart Strategy Sessions – Only $150 (One Hour Phone Conference)
- Business Credit Builder Program – Only $2,500 (5 Year Program)
- FREE Tips Every Tuesday & Thursday Morning on YouTube (Terri Couser – The Credit Expert)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.caretools.net/
- Phone: 888-383-6182
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carecredittools/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carecredittools/
- Other: http://carecredittools.net/
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