The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex Espinoza

Episode: The Funding Secrets Schools Never Teach—Benjetta Exposes the Truth

Date: August 30, 2025
Guest: Benjetta Steele (CEO/Founder of Mother and Motivation)
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza

Overview

This episode focuses on the untaught realities of securing business funding, breaking generational cycles of financial struggle, and the mindset necessary for entrepreneurship. Paul Alex interviews Benjetta Steele, a self-made entrepreneur and funding strategist, who shares her journey from healthcare to six-figure business funding expert and what it takes to escape the rat race. Together, they tackle misconceptions about self-education, credit strategies, mentorship, and how to build recession-proof streams of income.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Benjetta’s Personal & Career Background

• Original roots: Born in Los Angeles, raised in Raleigh, North Carolina (01:11–01:43).
• Early career: Started in healthcare (nursing, childcare, hair care), but moved into financial care after witnessing pandemic-induced struggles as a first responder (02:07–02:53).
• Catalyst for change: God-inspired decision to leave her job; single mother balancing crisis—her son required major surgery during the pandemic (03:00–03:50).
  • “God told me to… retire and leave my job. And I was like, Lord, I just bought this house. He said, ‘Haven’t I taken care of you long enough?’” (02:13)

Starting Over & Building a Vision

• Entrepreneurial drive: Early responsibility—had two kids by age 17, her mother lived with her, so she became an adult fast (05:44–07:11).
• Mother and Motivation: Benjetta’s brand and coaching are built around real-life lessons, not just book knowledge. She focuses on "proper preparation to prevent poor performance."
• First clients: Pivoted from salon business, using her network of hair clients and colleagues as her initial customer base. “Most of my ideal clients were sitting in my chair.” (07:31)
• Network is net worth: Cultivating and leveraging relationships as foundational to business growth (08:39–09:22).

Self-Education vs. Traditional Paths

• Skepticism around paying for self-education: Addressing why people pay more for wants (like hair) than for coaching or financial education (09:22–10:12).
  • “It’s how the system raised us… But honestly, a coach can get you further and faster to your destination than college.” (10:12)
• Mentorship reality: She invested $3,500 in her first coach after seeing him help her access $100k in funding—proving value before purchase (12:35–13:28).
• Lessons are blessings: Both agree that real learning (including from mistakes and restarts) is an essential part of building lasting success (12:06–12:22).
  • “The blessings is in the lessons.” – Benjetta (12:18)

Vetting Coaches & Avoiding Scams

• Do your due diligence: Research, look for real proof, and gauge trust before investing in a mentor. (12:35–13:46)

Funding: Stories and Strategies

• Zero to hero case study: Helped a young real estate entrepreneur clean his credit—removing over 20 negative items in 6 months. Subsequently got $350,000 via credit card stacking and HELOCs, allowing him to purchase four more properties (15:51–17:43).

Practical Funding Insights

• Credit stacking explained: Working with multiple banks to obtain several 0% interest cards for new entrepreneurs when business revenue is low (18:29–19:10).
  • “You’re able to get 0% interest credit cards, so you can invest in your business without stressing about interest for six to twenty-one months.” (18:29)
• HELOCs: Borrowing against the equity in your property to invest in more assets (20:08–20:40).
• Custom plans: Each client gets a tailored strategy based on their credit, goals, and business experience (23:11–24:28).

Building Credit for Funding

• Foundation principles: Focus is not just the credit score but the structure—no derogatories, late payments, or collections; building through pledge loans, authorized users, and primary trade lines based on experience (24:28–25:09).
  • “It’s not always about the score, it’s about the structure of the profile.” (23:43)

Boss vs. Hustler Mindset (Key Moment)

• Main difference: A boss delegates, grows the business, and uplifts others; a hustler is short-term and scattered (26:31–27:33).
  • “A boss is delegating tasks, doing research, continuously growing and putting others in position around them… a hustler is living for the moment.” (26:31)

Focus & "Burn the Boats" Decision

• Why she dropped hair to go all-in on funding: Demand, health reasons, and the need to give 100% for true growth (27:59–28:43).

Advice for Single Mothers & Women Entrepreneurs (Powerful Segment)

• Mindset and encouragement: Put the love and dedication into your business that you give to others; leverage your 9-5 to fund your 5-9; cut distractions; focus on self-belief and consistency (29:31–31:11).
  • “You have to dominate in your area… Give it the same love and affection like you give that man over and over, or that job… The more you learn, the more you’ll earn.” (29:31–30:15)

Building Recession-Proof Income—Industries to Watch

• What’s recession-proof in 2025: Financial education, merchant services, real estate, short-term rentals (Airbnb), car rentals, hair & beauty, childcare, cosmetics, coaching (32:09–33:25).
  • “People are always going to need somewhere to stay, always need something to drive, always have financial issues, always need coaching…” (32:10–33:25)
• Recurring revenue is essential.

The Power of Leverage

• Definition: Leverage applies to credit, mindset, network, and assets; it’s about turning what you have—skills, relationships, opportunities—into growth (36:15–37:49).
  • “Leverage your personal credit to obtain six figures in funding or more… Leverage your connections, your friends, opportunities… If you have a boat, a home, you can pull equity from there…” (36:15)
• Action step: Start with repairing and optimizing your credit—even using free tools like ChatGPT to generate dispute letters (37:25).

Followers & Social Media Myth-Busting

• Success isn’t just followers: Most clients came from networking, relationships, and in-person referrals—not social media (38:49–39:50).
  • “Closed mouths don’t get fed… networking is a powerful tool… a lot of clients came from relationships I built.” (39:50)
• Three unshakable skills: Communication, mindset, and networking.

Level Up Message to Queens (Women/Mothers) [MUST-READ]

(Direct speech, highly inspirational segment, 41:04–43:49)

“Hi, queen. My name is Benjetta Steele, and I understand truly, realistically, what you’re going through. You might be tired… But that's not the end. Grow a closer relationship to your higher power… Write down your affirmations and speak it, because the tongue is a very powerful tool… Every week, do something different… Make small steps towards those bigger goals. Turn off the TV, listen to educational podcasts… Remove any negativity—friends or relationships that don’t serve you… God will send people to you on that journey… Wipe your pretty face, stop crying. God gonna work it out for you. Just keep on believing, keep on pushing… Six to twelve months from now, those problems will no longer exist. Stay resilient, stay motivated, stay dedicated, and know everything will change, one day at a time.”
—Benjetta Steele (41:04–43:49)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “God told me to… retire and leave my job… I just did it.” – Benjetta (02:13)
• “My ideal clients were right in my chair.” – Benjetta (07:31)
• “Your network is your net worth.” – Paul Alex (08:50)
• “A coach can get you further and faster to your destination than college.” – Benjetta (10:12)
• “You have to go through those lessons. The blessings is in the lessons.” – Benjetta (12:18)
• “People will pay you hundreds of dollars to do their hair, but they won’t pay you hundreds to fix their finances.” – Benjetta (09:22)
• “A boss is delegating tasks… a hustler is just living for the moment.” – Benjetta (26:31)
• “Leverage ChatGPT. Start sending out those dispute letters. Clean your credit profile.” – Benjetta (37:25)
• “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” – Benjetta (39:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Benjetta introduces herself: 01:11
• Pandemic shift and motivation: 02:07–03:50
• Mother and Motivation origin: 05:44–07:11
• Getting first clients from salon: 07:31–08:39
• Why people resist coaching: 09:22–10:12
• The value of self-education/mentorship: 12:06–13:28
• Zero to hero client case study: 15:51–17:43
• Credit stacking explained: 18:29
• Recession-proof industries advice: 32:09–33:25
• Boss vs. hustler mindset: 26:31–27:33
• Advice to women and mothers: 29:31–31:11
• Benjetta’s motivational message: 41:04–43:49

Final Notes & Where to Find Benjetta

• Instagram: @IambenjettaTheBoss
• YouTube: IAmBossLady
• Facebook: Benjetta Steele
• Strategy Call: Linktree at linktr.ee/benjettasteel; Phone: 919-670-5112

Summary Tone:
The episode is warm, deeply personal, and practical—full of real talk on overcoming struggles, specific funding strategies, and the power of self-education, mentorship, network, and mindset. Both Paul and Benjetta keep it motivational but also grounded in hard-earned lessons.

Essential Takeaways:

• Leverage is central: credit, connections, mindset, and assets
• Funding secrets are learnable, but require discipline, structure, and self-education
• Building recession-proof income requires recurring, in-demand skills/businesses
• Real success is about network, execution, and self-belief—not just online followers
• Every struggle, especially for single parents, can be the foundation of future strength and entrepreneurship

For listeners:
Whether you’re just starting, struggling, or seeking your next level, this episode is both a toolkit (credit, funding, mentorship) and a motivational masterclass. The core message: where you start doesn’t have to dictate where you finish—leveling up is within your reach.