"Just take that first step and build momentum" with Jeanne Kelly

Jeanne Kelly is an author, speaker, and a widely sought-after credit coach. Twenty years ago, Jeanne was turned down for a mortgage and realized she needed to understand why and fix the problem. Today, Jeanne has become one of the country’s foremost authorities on credit, credit reports, and credit scores. She is the author of two books, she has appeared on The Today Show, The Breakfast Club, Blogs on Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and her advice has helped thousands around the United States to build stronger and healthier credit.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

 At the age of 21, I got married. I had my daughter, Cassandra, at 25. By 26, I was separated. It just didn’t work out. I went from being a newly married woman living in a new home, to being a single mom living on my parent’s farm in a tiny cottage. 

I realized quickly how things like my credit score and debt significantly impacted the opportunities available to me and my daughter.

After having enough of the struggle, I began working on my own credit and realized that I could help others not struggle with building better credit as I did. I was passionate about sharing my experiences with others and raising awareness around credit.  

After cold calling mortgage brokers out of the yellow pages, one thing led to another. I went from driving a run-down car, unable to get an apartment, living at my parents’, to The Today Show calling me, being a highly sought-after credit coach, and receiving amazing opportunities. After lots of work and determination, my company The Kelly Group, now proudly serves to help those who are in a situation like I was by supplying resources, education, and support.

What inspired you to start your business? 

My business was inspired by my life experiences. I remember what it felt like being denied opportunities and constantly being limited because of poor credit and financial instability. At the time, we did not talk so much about credit or have an industry helping with credit education like today. I did a lot of the footwork on my own, with a laser-like determination to provide a better life for me and my daughter. That Mama Bear moment really fueled me to keep going when things got tough.

Where is your business based?

The Kelly Group is based out of New York.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I started my business shortly after my divorce. When my marriage ended, I went to get my own place and discovered I had horrible credit. Things I didn’t realize would affect my credit, like paying my car loan late, breaking an unreasonable cell phone contract, even a missed $30 copay at a doctor’s office went on my credit as a collection. When I looked for help, nobody was doing what I needed to fix it and help me learn long-term how to stabilize my credit future. 

I had to move in with my parents. They helped me with my daughter—thank goodness. I’d waitress at night and be up with Cassandra all day. Once I figured out a way to fix my credit, I thought “If I could do this for me, I could do it for other people.” I quit waitressing to give it my all. When I got that first paycheck, I only had $125 in my bank account.

This was before social media and Google, so finding clients looked a lot different. I went through the Yellow Pages and cold-called mortgage brokers. I wouldn’t give up. “I can help you close more loans. I can help the clients with credit issues, and you can keep them in the pipeline.” Finally, this guy, Mike Daversa, answered my call by accident, but let me give him my pitch. It turned out he had a client who needed my help.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Having the opportunity to be on bigger platforms like The Today Show and The Breakfast Club, plus contributing to blogs such as Huffington Post, Thrive Global and others were very effective in getting my message out there to a large audience. Additionally, sharing free resources on my website and social media has also been effective in raising awareness that all people can access, despite their financial situations.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I’d have to say the biggest challenges were those I shared about the beginning stages of my business. Being a young, single mom came with its own set of challenges. Add in navigating low credit scores, debt, and divorce alongside that, it brought a challenge to a whole other level.  Things felt confusing and exhausting at first. It was one of those moments where negative thoughts could have easily gotten the better of me. But I refused. I truly attribute my ability to fight back and keep going to my strong desire to provide a better life for my daughter. 

How do you stay focused?

I love that you asked this because my word for 2022 happens to be just that- focus. I’ve been holding myself accountable to my weekly to-do lists (meaning I don’t leave lingering tasks for the next week- I’ve been guilty of this before!). I’ve committed to a brand new to-do list each week to really gain traction towards my goals. Staying organized with my tasks has been key as well as eliminating distractions. In our digital world, it’s easy for our focus to go in 100 different directions between emails, texts, social media, etc. So I make sure that I’m staying in control of my day and not allowing outside noise to control me.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I think it’s important to know what else is going on in the industry and be aware of what else is out there. I also strongly believe in championing other people’s success, because it’s true that there’s enough for us all! For me, this circles back to focus. I believe what keeps my business unique and different is not allowing those outside influences to overpower my own goals and visions. We all have a story that’s unique to us and a “why power” that fuels our passion. I stay connected to those parts of me to keep my content authentic.

 What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Being featured and contributing to various platforms has been incredibly expansive for my business. It’s allowed me to share my story with a larger audience and has connected me with lots of people who were eager to support and get involved. I also provide a lot of free, valuable advice about credit in the marketing world which makes it easily accessible for people to digest and share, simultaneously growing my business.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

This one is short and sweet - JUST START! Whether it’s in business or in life, just take that first step and build momentum.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

This book inspired me to open up new realms of possibility. Our minds and energy are important factors when it comes to finding happiness and success. The book showed me how to begin creating that for myself. It’s your life, you get to live it by your own design!

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Honestly, a good old-fashioned CRM system. Sometimes our memories aren’t as efficient as having a fabulous CRM system in place. And that’s important to me- to have quality interactions and relationships with my clients.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My role models were both my parents. They balanced the income, the household, and our overall lifestyle. One worked and the other didn’t. But they both worked to give their children an excellent life.

How do you balance work and life?

I feel like, for women especially, there’s never really a balance. My advice would be to just do your best! Your best is always enough.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I’m an early (and I mean early!) riser. Using my morning time to motivate myself before the business day begins is essential. Podcasts, books, morning coffee- it helps me get my mindset ready and feel centered. I also find that the morning hours help me stay away from my phone and other electronics. Most people aren’t even up yet, so not having those notifications going off keeps me away from the temptation of using my personal time for work.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

My big goal is always to continue amplifying my message. I want to spread the awareness of why having healthy credit is so important to as many people as possible. I would love to pursue more opportunities in the speaking world. Lately, I’ve been making it a habit to be more consistent over social media and I’m excited to keep up with that. And I’m really looking forward to opening up more online support groups and memberships to provide a more personalized credit experience.

How can our readers connect with you?

Website: https://jeannekelly.net/

The Kelly Group: https://www.kgroupconsulting.com/

Instagram: @creditjeanne