← The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
The Funding Secrets Schools Never Teach—Benjetta Exposes the Truth
00:46:26
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- [00:01]
A
You're about to make a trade which.
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B
You do, you listen to. Is it get optioning those options or let's do a little research.
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A
Learn more@finra.org TradeSmart welcome to the Level up podcast. I'm your host, Paul Alex. I went from being a cop to an eight figure entrepreneur that helps average people like you and me make money every single day. Day. I created this podcast to help you get motivated and to crush your goals. Let's win together. Remember, I have your six. Get ready to level up right now. Hey guys, and welcome back to Level podcast. This is Paul Alex and today I have another phenomenal guest. Guys. Now if you guys ever thought of investing into a business but you don't know what type of business to actually invest into, okay, and what about funding? Right? That is the first question I always get asked, Paul, how much is it going to cost? At the end of the day, I always say like this, you got to find solutions, okay? That's how leaders lead. Now today I have a wonderful guest. I'm going to let her introduce herself because, hey, you are a leader and you lead by example. So tell the folks right now that are listening to this on Apple, Spotify and YouTube who you are.
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B
Hi, my name is Benjetta Steele and I am the CEO and founder of Mother and Motivation. I help entrepreneurs be able to access six figures and funding for investing into their brand to grow, scale and just maximize their business.
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A
I love that. I love that. And then where are you coming from?
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B
I'm coming from North Carolina.
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A
The Carolinas. I love that. I love that.
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B
Raleigh, North Carolina.
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A
There you go. Born and raised.
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B
No, I was born in Los Angeles, California, but we moved there when I was like 8 years old. So that's where my roots have been created.
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A
Yeah. Do you start family in Cali?
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B
I do. And in Beverly Hills, Lancaster and Palm.
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A
I love that.
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B
I go up there like once a year in March just to revisit.
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A
Yeah, you got to, you got to, from coast to coast. So. All right, let's, let's jump into it. So before you got into actually helping businesses or entrepreneurs with funding, what were you doing before? Like, what got you into that niche?
- [02:07]
B
So before I even got in the industry, I was in the healthcare industry. I always like caring for people. I love caring for people. That has been my passion. So I did nursing care, child care, hair care, now financial care. And what pushed me into the industry was basically seeing so many people, you know, going through the pandemic, financially struggling people losing their lives because I was A first responder. I seen a lot of people lose their lives, so it really put me in a perspective to think from my angle, what if I lost my life and I didn't reach my fullest potential? And how can I help people get out this financial struggle? So God told me to. He told me to retire and leave my job. And I was like, lori, I just bought this house. You want me to retire? He said, haven't I taken care of you long enough? So I'm gonna take care of you when you leave. And I just did it.
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A
How. How old were you at that time?
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B
At that current moment? I was 29.
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A
You were 29. Did you have kids yet?
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B
Yes. And to be honest, on the back end with that, I was kind of forced a little bit more because my son had major brain surgery during the pandemic in 2020. So I was forced to, like, kind of leave. I took a FMLA leave of absence, and then from there, you know, I had to make money. So. Yeah.
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A
How old was he?
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B
He was. Javante was 16. Yeah, 16. 15 or 16.
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A
So 16 years old. You're 29. You just bought your home in the Carolinas. Yes, in the Carolinas. And Covid happens. Covid changed everyone's life.
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B
Everybody.
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A
Right. Whether it was bad, good, transformational. Right. And you had a major incident happen to you, so it was like fight or flight, right?
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B
Yes. All the way through.
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A
Wow.
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B
Family, you know, the work life. Because it's scary you in a situation where you don't know if you're going to lose your life, and you still care about the people, so you want to help them save their life, and then you still have to battle being a parent. And I'm a single parent, so my life is not easy. Basically. I had to do what I had to do, and it was, you know, it was hard, but I feel like, God, don't put no more on us than what we can handle. So he pushed me through it, and I'm just. I'm here.
- [04:16]
A
I love that saying. I love the fact that you're like, hey, you know, I was a single mother, because I can relate that to a lot. You know, I was raised by a single mother, and, you know, I tell everybody this, you know, wrong, right? My mom, I would always have mad respect for her because she literally went out of her way to make sure I was raised right, you know, And I'm pretty sure your boys, they're gonna say the same thing.
- [04:40]
B
That's a different battle. You know, a lot of people don't Understand on the back end of what we have to sacrifice, the tears we cry, the long nights, the early mornings, you know, just cooking, cleaning, still having to be a protector, a provider. That's a lot.
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A
It is.
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B
So my, My hat goes off to any single parent. It doesn't matter, just women, because I know male single parents too. So it's a lot.
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A
No, absolutely. And I love, I love how you said that. You know, being a single parent is very hard. I believe that there's a lot of people out there right now watching this, especially at this podcast, because this is a self help podcast to help entrepreneurs with the right mindset. Right. And I think we got the right guest. Right? So. So I love that. So let's talk about specifics.
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B
Okay.
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A
Let's. Let's go into a little bit of business. So you go ahead, God's telling you, hey, you need to go another direction. How do you find out this niche with funding and then just turning into a business coach? Because that's very interesting. Not everybody can go ahead and just dive right into that. So.
- [05:45]
B
So it definitely wasn't a dive. It was definitely a transition because really it was a lifestyle for me. So I had to get out my own comfortable space and mindset to say, you know, so many people come to you for help. When it comes down to finances, when it comes down to borrowing money, how can you help the people now? Once again, I purchased my first home at 28 years old. So I'm like, if I can do it, I could really teach other people how to do it, but how do I structure them to get there? Right? So once again, when it comes down to doing certain things like that, you have to position yourself early on. And I always live by my P's, which is proper preparation to prevent poor performance. So I, I do that with everything. So, you know, it's like teaching my community. Okay, well, we need to focus on getting our finances in order, making sure your bills are paid on time, making sure you know that you are handling your priorities. Instead of me hanging out with my friends, I had children by the age of two, children by the age of 17, so I couldn't do what everybody else did. I had to pay my bills. I couldn't go back home to my mother. My mother stayed with me. Right. So it just put me in a place where I was forced to do, be an adult at an early age, where it taught me how to be able to help other people transition and go through that same thing. So that's how I became mother of motivation. That's how I started the financial aspect. You know, just basically living this life myself and being able to easily help other people.
- [07:11]
A
So how'd you, how do you obtain your first clients? Because I, I feel like, you know, I've talked to a few other friends of mine who became entrepreneurs and, you know, they start a business. It's. It's nerve wracking, right? It's not for the faint of heart. It's. It's, it's not easy. So how did you find, like, your clients?
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B
So I have a little secret. When I first started my entrepreneurial journey and I fully left my. The hospital position, I started out with the gift that God gave me, which was hair. I have my natural hair care license. So I moved into a salon, had a couple of suites, and basically started there. Then I transitioned more so in the financial aspect fully and let the hair thing go. But most of my ideal clients were sitting in my chair. No way. So I would. Yeah. Because I'm very personable with people. I build relationships. So with that being said, people will always tell me their problems. I just have this gift of God where everybody always want to get really personal with me. So that's how I became that full business owner when it came down to the financial aspect, because I'm helping them strategize. Plan. Let's do this. You want to become a homeowner. Oh, you need a lower interest rate for your vehicle. Oh, your business owner. You need funding. This is what I did. I only can give you what I did. So with that being said, my ideal clients were right in my chair and then working in the hospital too. So it's like, yeah, that's amazing.
- [08:40]
A
So, so an advantage that you had was. And it's not really a secret. I mean, I'd be proud to be like, yeah, I got a huge network, you know, and that's what it is. Your network is your net worth.
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B
Right?
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A
That's how we connected. Right? So at the end of the day, it's just like, that's, that's. You gotta be sociable. And I always tell this, I always tell this to my employees. I always tell these to my mentees. I'm like, hey, never burn bridges. Like, you never, never know when you might need that person's help and vice versa, right? So you did that very well. You, you did that very well. You, you, you transitioned certain clientele that you had, your network, and then when you were ready to launch a new offer business, boom, it was right there.
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B
It wasn't easy with the Financial portion. People will pay you hundreds of dollars to do their hair, but they won't pay you hundreds of dollars to fix their finances.
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A
It wasn't, it wasn't easy. Let's talk about that, let's talk about that real quick because I feel like especially this being the level of podcast, you know, we're here to level up your mind guys. So let's talk about that. Why do most people who are not in business or an entrepreneurship see self education like that when, when you tell somebody, hey, you take this course or you take this program or maybe you get a mentor, maybe you join, let's say a conference that might change your life and it's going to cost X amount. People are always like, oh well I don't know, they're hesitant, they're like, I don't know. What are your thoughts on that? Why do people do that?
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B
Well, it's honestly how we have been raised, how the system, system raised us. You know, it's like a traditional thing. Your mother went to school, she went to college, she got this degree, she listened to her teacher and this is how society has set us up. But to me, I always been there like rebellious one that want to do the opposite of what everybody is taught to do. So with that being said, I know that realistically a coach can get you further and faster to your destination versus, you know, college. College allows you. And I'm not saying this for everybody because certain degrees like being a doctor or a nurs or you know, yeah, it's necessary. But when it comes down to wanting to launch your own business, like whether if it's a service or product based business, you don't have the idea of which direction to go. School is not really giving you the full effect of how to get there. So to me it was smarter in order for me to have a mentor that had already did what I desire to do. So that's, that's really like. The cheat code is really. The cheat code is like chess, not checkers.
- [11:17]
A
Yeah, no, that, that makes a lot of sense.
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B
So it's scary for people to invest into something that they don't understand or they never, you know, seen before.
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A
So, so from the time that you actually started your, your funding business and also educating other folks on financial literacy, did you invest into a coach or mentor right away or did you wait a little bit or. Because for me, I'll tell you straight up, you know, I' I didn't really start investing into my self education until the age of 29, but I've been an entrepreneur since 18. Right. I did the whole nightclub thing. I threw parties. Thousands of people making a lot of money at a young age, but I didn't have any direction. Right. So I blew it all. Went to the 9 5, became a cop, and then figured it out again.
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B
Wow. So that's a lesson within itself.
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A
It is, it is. Because I always tell people like, you know, you are who you are and the only way that you become a great leader is by going through those lessons.
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B
You have to, you have to go through those lessons. The blessings is in the lessons.
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A
It is.
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B
Yeah.
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A
I love that. I love that.
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B
I'm telling you.
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A
So what would you tell folks that are actually trying to go ahead and look for a coach? Like, how do you find a coach? How do you know who's real? Because, you know, 20, 25, let's be.
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B
Honest, it's so many people out here saturated in these industries. That's what I'm saying.
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A
So, you know, as soon as you know, you just drop funding. People are like, I don't know, like.
- [12:47]
B
You have to do your due diligence, do your research, and really, you know, you want to study a person. Before I invested my $3,500 into that coaching mentor, he had already gave me enough free gain to make me trust him to build that relationship. So with that being said, it was a no brainer for me to invest 3,500 into my first coach. This was back when I was 29. Yeah, I purchased my home at 28. So I was like, I hit that milestone and now I have to go up. I need to go somewhere else. So with that being said, that mentor had already helped me get access to $100,000 in funding. So I was like, it just makes sense for me to take 3500 and give it back to him because what else can I learn from this mentor if I do that?
- [13:29]
A
So, yeah, so you essentially got the social proof for yourself because you tried it out yourself. You were such a big believer in it because it worked for you. And then you were like, you know what? I could, I could do this. I could go ahead and actually educate people on doing the exact same thing.
- [13:47]
B
So let me ask you, it wasn't that easy though. I had to apply the information for me to believe it in order for me to be able to help others do the same thing.
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A
No, absolutely, Absolutely. And I'm a big believer in that. You know, I'm the first one to say, you know, you have to lead by example and you're definitely leading by example now. So my question for you is, have you ever had a situation where you were like, man, I don't know if entrepreneurship is for me.
- [14:19]
B
You know, it hit us like every six months. Every three to six months. You like it does? Yeah. Every three to six months until you get over that milestone and you like, okay, I can figure this out. I have good people like Paul that I can call and ask a question because he already been through this. So. So with that being said, of course in the beginning phases, it can be very difficult. You know, you don't sometimes depending on where you come from. Like, I came from humble beginnings, probably lifestyle, so a lot of my surrounding environment did not understand my vision. So they wasn't as supportive. So it kind of left me like, really? Yeah, I was not hopeful at the beginning, but once again, I'm big on God connecting me with my people. He. He will help you build a team. And that is for a fact the biggest thing when you are entrepreneur and a business owner, you have to faith because you're basically creating this vision that you haven't even, you haven't seen it yet. It's just like still an idea. So with that being said, you know, on this journey, it's a lot of times that you want to give up. It's going to be times where you get to a tight place, but if you keep going, it's all testing your resilience, it's testing your, your faith. So the more you, you learn, the more you'll be able to earn and the more you'll be able to, you know, escalate on getting the tools you need to keep going?
- [15:36]
A
No, absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. So let's talk about actual results from the business funding. What would you say is a good story that you'd be able to tell the audience on how you help somebody go literally from zero to hero?
- [15:52]
B
Man. So about two years ago, I had an individual young man. He's about my age, about 30, 33, 34, literally. He came to me. He was already a little bit into real estate, started when he was in college. But he came to me like, Ms. Benjetta, I'm trying to get some more capital because I need to purchase more property to create more pass streams of income. So with that being said, he didn't have the best of credit. Right. So we basically had to start from the foundation, which is credit. You can't, I'm not gonna say you can't do a lot, but if you don't have a lot of money, you need to Have a lot of good credit. So basically, you know, helping him analyze the negative, removing the derogatory remarks. Now, I didn't say it was a overnight process. It took us six months to get those negative items removed because he did have over 20 negative items. To make a long story short, once we clean his profile, we already, he already had a business. We just needed to build business credit. So therefore, once we got the personal side together, the business was structured and the business credit was built. He was able to obtain $350,000 worth of funding. And that was a mixture of credit card stacking where he was able to get access to 150,000 there and then get more capital with HELOCs and loans. Business loans. Loans. So with that being said, he was able to purchase about four more properties. And not only that, you know, here we are two years later, and this individual, he's in school for business management, and he recently came to me like, I want to do my internship with you because you really taught me a lot and I want to work for you. And that was amazing because that individual believed in me and he listened and he was coachable, which I tend to see men more coachable than women. But yeah, there's no, no discrimination. I'm just saying he listened and he followed the process. And that has been my best student. And his journey has just been amazing.
- [17:43]
A
So I love that. I love that. That's. That's such a great story. And I like how you actually glow when you talk about someone else's results. That's great that, that shows that it really fulfills you when you're helping it do.
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B
Yeah, I love helping people. I ask God all the time. You put me here because people problems can be a lot for you when you have your own problems. But I get satis. I'm satisfied with seeing other people get the results that they desire because their results is my results, of course.
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A
So, yeah, their success is yours.
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B
It definitely is.
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A
I love that. So let's go ahead and talk about what exactly are some of the terms that you actually said? Credit stacking. So for a complete newbie like myself, like the audience listening right now, what would you say is credit stacking when it comes to funding?
- [18:30]
B
So credit stacking is basically a sequence of building relationships with different banks and lenders. So therefore you can access the capital for investing. Investing into your brand new business. I'm more so focused on startup business entrepreneurs who don't. Who haven't made any money in their business so they don't have no revenue to go get a business loan or go get equipment financing and so forth. So that is the perspective that I teach. And also it's so much of a benefit because you're able to get 0% entrance credit cards. So therefore you can invest into your business without stressing about paying interest within six to 21 months. So that's a game changer. Which a lot of. They didn't teach you this in school.
- [19:11]
A
No, no, no, absolutely. You don't teach about credit cards. I remember growing up, my mom was just like, stay away from credit because it'll ruin you. You'll go in debt. And you know, she didn't teach me the difference between good debt and bad debt. Right. So I think it's things that are necessary in school nowadays.
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B
What?
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A
Right. But it's going towards. I, I feel like school, you know, E learning is definitely going to take over for sure in the next few years. Now even AI just E learning. Just in general, you know, because you got to think about it like this. Who would you rather learn from? A multi millionaire who is, you know, savvy in finances and funding and business and life or. Or a teacher who doesn't have the same skills. They're just a general teacher and teaching.
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B
From a book where they haven't even did the.
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A
Exactly.
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B
Work themselves.
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A
They haven't even have the social proof.
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B
I want to learn from a millionaire.
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A
Exactly. Right.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Right. So no, that's good stuff. Okay, so how about the other portion of that story with heloc? How does that work?
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B
So a HELOC is basically a loan and it comes from the equity that you have built in a home. Right. Or commercial property. But basically focus on the personal side when it comes down to your, your home or homes that you have purchased. So it's a home equity line of credit where you can be able to borrow from the actual property based on the equity that it has built to be able to invest into more property. So therefore you can create more passive streams of income. So yeah.
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A
And do majority of your clients actually come in saying like, hey, this is the type of business I want to do, or do you get people just like myself maybe back when I was like 25. Right. And I have no idea what I should invest into. No business that like I wanted to invest into a business, I wanted to be an entrepreneur like a lot of people nowadays, but they just don't know where to start.
- [21:02]
B
So it's like a 25, 75. And the reason why I say that 75 is more so because I have Partnerships that are in real estate, that are in investment companies. So I love to collaborate with individuals who have established business, who have the clientele that need my help. And then the other 25 come into my mentorship and they basically need education on which direction to go. And I teach them about starting a short term rental arbitrage business, which people consider it Airbnb or short term rental car business. So therefore basically, you know, you're just using assets to be able to create the income where you're not having to work hard, you're working smart. And then also they can start their own credit and funding company because it's so it's 8 billion people in the world. I can't help everybody. But you know, if I teach you how to get some extra money, make 10,000 to 50,000amonth, that could be a game changer.
- [21:56]
A
That is really cool. So you can help people actually go ahead and start their own funding company.
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B
Correct. Okay.
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A
And then is this something that could be for like a beginner? Is this somebody that needs experience in business? Do they need a degree?
- [22:12]
B
I definitely feel like you will want to have a little bit of experience now. If you are a quick learner, you can learn six to 12 months. Now I'm big on people executing for themselves before they jump into it because you need to see how the sequence works when it comes down to getting access to funding. And I mean different types of funding. Credit card stacking, which that's what I specialize mostly in. But even HELOCs, knowing the data points, business loans, equipment financing, it's so many different loans you can get. But knowing the right one, tailored to that client's needs. Right. Cause every client is different. I might have a millionaire client that already has a lot of assets, already has revenue coming into their business. That's going to be different from a startup entrepreneur. So they're plan of action is going to be totally different. So you want to be able to know the data points, you want to be able to understand, you know, all the different terms that the banks offer. Because if you're going in there blind, you're going to miseducate people. And I don't like to miseducate people. Set them up.
- [23:11]
A
That's great. So you're setting them up for success.
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B
For the long run.
- [23:15]
A
No, that's big on that. That's good. Yeah. People got to do their due diligence when it comes to business because you can literally lose your shirt.
- [23:22]
B
Your shirt, your pants, your house.
- [23:24]
A
Yeah, you gotta lose everything. Right. But okay, so I know on, you know, when I was doing my research on your business, you specifically say that you help people with 700 plus credit scores. How about the folks that have a credit score right underneath that 700, like, what can you do for them?
- [23:44]
B
Yes. So that's really taking it back and making sure that each client goals that I go over, whether they are a consumer or entrepreneur, you know, depending on their goals, we always start with the foundation. The foundation for everyone in my program is credit. Because the better your credit, the just more structured you are, the better your results are going to be. So if you have a below a 700, and it's not always about the score, it's about the structure of the profile. So I have to make sure that you know the structure. No derogatory, no late payments, no charge offs, no collections, no evictions. None of that is reporting or reflecting on your credit profile. From there. Once we get that clean, and it just depends. Everyone credit profile is different, just like everybody bank account is different.
- [24:29]
A
Absolutely 100%.
- [24:31]
B
That being said, we get that clean and make it look all good and polished and then we build you up, you know, and I have a different way based on each client. You can do the credit building route, or I can take you to the expert route where you're building with pledge loans, you're building with authorized users and primary trade lines. So therefore, you look very healthy when you go to the bank versus when you start like an amateur. You're building with credit builders and, you know, the, the baby credit cards and secured loans. And when, just depending on which direction you want to go, we have to build you up solid.
- [25:06]
A
Right?
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B
So, yeah, it just depends on everybody's bank account.
- [25:09]
A
I love that. No, I love that.
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B
No discrimination. I love you all.
- [25:13]
A
So let's transition to this question. So you mentored thousands of people. Okay, so. So what would you say? What is your belief? Okay. That separates a boss from just a hustler.
- [25:26]
B
Okay.
- [25:28]
A
What mindset or action makes someone elite in your eyes?
- [25:31]
C
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- [25:51]
D
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- [26:24]
C
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- [26:31]
B
Yes. So my belief with separating a boss from a hustler. A boss is really delegating tasks. A boss is doing their due diligence, doing their research. You know, they don't just stop at, oh, I done learned this skill and I'm just gonna, you know, make money off of it. But you continuously grow in your industry and then you also are putting other people in position around you. You're not being selfish and you're not trying to just keep it to yourself. A hustler is just really living for the moment. They're like, I'm make this dollar bill and whatever works for the moment, then that's what I'm gonna do. And you know, they might be all over the place. So with that being said, you want to stick to one direction like far as your industry, whether if it's a product based or a service based and you want to lock in on it. Because one thing I'm, I'm going to say is that I had to learn to do that. I was balancing doing hair and teaching finances, but once I kind of put the hair on the back burner and running a salon and locked in on finances, revenue went up because I gave that a hundred percent versus a hustler is going to give be all over the place.
- [27:33]
A
So how did you make that decision? Just because I have, I have a ton of friends that, you know, they're doing multiple things. And I always say like your mind is like a pie, right? You can't split it four ways. It's just like you got to focus all in one. It's like one of my mentors says, burn the boats, right? Burn the boats. You got to go all in. That's it. So what would you say was that aha moment for you where you were like, you know what, I'm about to go all in on this.
- [27:59]
B
So the aha moment for me was last year and I'm going to be honest, it started to become a high demand right now. I already, like I told you, I started my entrepreneur journey started at 7 years old. So I already was good at doing hair, but my back and my arms and everything was hurting too. So I was like, you know what, it's a high demand for what I'm doing. And in order for me to be able to help more people and be sufficient at what I'm doing, I have to like transition over. So I just basically had to do a cut off. I cut the websites off for my hair business. I stopped taking clients and then I graduated fully into this and I just been locked in, you know, I love it.
- [28:43]
A
You went all in. It grew. You believe, you got vision, you got people that will follow you. Like, I love that. No, that's the way you're supposed to do it. But I feel like what holds a lot of people back is their limiting belief of like, what if this doesn't work out? You know, you got to experience it, you know, you got to go in, right? So we both come from like humble beginnings. And I love that, you know, you're saying you were, you're a single mother, two kids. I had a single mother, she raised me. Love her to death. So what would you shout out to her? Shout out to my mom, Mary Cruz, what would you say to women? This is gonna be a good one. Especially mothers who think success in business is, this isn't for them.
- [29:31]
B
Listen, Queen, I'm going to tell you right now, you have to dominate in your area. Whatever industry you are in, you have to give it the same type of love and affection like you give that man over and over, like you give that job over and over. You have to believe in it. Just like we believe in things that might not be here tomorrow. So I'm really big on, keep on pushing, resilience, dedication, your 9 to 5. Leverage your 9 to 5 to fund your 5 to 9. So you want to always give it that time and put in the effort. Cut off the tv, cut off the noise. Maybe you might have to stop dating if you're not married. Like really sacrifice and really love on your passion just as much as you loved on that man. That's probably not here.
- [30:16]
A
That's good.
- [30:16]
B
Or you know, yeah, you have to love on what's going to change your life. And you have to understand that it takes time. Success isn't overnight. Nobody, just a house is, wasn't built overnight. You didn't just teach your kids how to be great overnight. Nothing is done overnight. So the more you build and the more you educate yourself, the more you learn, the more you'll earn. The more you just lock in on what you desire to do, the better you'll get at it. So it takes time and you will get there. Queen. I promise you, I did it by myself. Two children, purchased a home at 28. No mother or father giving me anything. Really humble beginnings. I didn't always, you know, have this type of mentality, but the transition of having a coach, having right leaders, God, putting the right people around me, just really wanting more for myself, wanting to be better. It will definitely take your life into a 360. So you got this. You just gotta keep on pushing.
- [31:11]
A
Yes, yes. Gotta keep on pushing. Queens. I love it. I love that. Okay, so obviously people always talk about recessions. All right, recession's coming. Recession's here.
- [31:28]
B
We're like recession proof over here.
- [31:29]
A
You guys, you guys been saying this for like the past like seven years. So probably longer than that. Longer than that. I'm sure, I'm sure. But like, you know, I've only been in full time entrepreneurship for seven years now.
- [31:41]
B
Okay.
- [31:42]
A
Yeah, so that's what I'm saying.
- [31:44]
B
How about you?
- [31:44]
A
Like, you know, or Very, very similar.
- [31:47]
B
Very similar, yes.
- [31:48]
A
I mean, this is why it's called. That's why it's called the level up right here.
- [31:52]
B
Yeah, I love that. It connects you to your people.
- [31:55]
A
I'm telling you, that's it. So how important is it to build a recession proof income today? Okay. And what industries are you telling your mentees to lean into, especially in 2025? Because the game's changed.
- [32:10]
B
Yes.
- [32:10]
A
So when does she sell?
- [32:12]
B
So to me, you want to be able to learn tools and resources and keep up with what's going on. Especially like we have AI is populating. So guess what? You can teach people how to use AI that's going to transition their business and you know, give it that level of boost. Finances. People are going to always have financial issues, whether it's credit, whether it's starting a business, whether if it's funding merchant, merchant services. Guess what? People are going to always spend money on credit cards. You have a merchant service, but you're going to need that on the back end. I guarantee you 100 real estate, you're someone's going to always need somewhere to stay. That's why I love real estate. That's why I love short term rentals, rental cars. People gonna always need something to drive. You're gonna always, you know, you're gonna always be able to make money there. So those are a few. Business. Hair industry, what? Nail industry, Cosmetics. You know, just coaching people gonna always need something that is in that industry. So therefore, if you lock in and learn that it's gonna, it can take you to another level. Now, I'm not gonna say, you know, discredit other businesses, but you want to always think about a business that's going to always generate and keep you with revenue. Childcare.
- [33:25]
A
Recurring.
- [33:26]
B
Yeah, recurring revenue.
- [33:28]
A
Recurring revenue. So especially here, I mean, people, my.
- [33:33]
B
They'Re gonna pay to get their hair done.
- [33:34]
A
My, my wife and I, last year we flew into Atlanta, I think like six times just to get her hair done.
- [33:43]
B
Just to get her hair done.
- [33:44]
A
Just to get her hair done.
- [33:44]
B
She's a queen.
- [33:46]
A
Yeah, just to get her hair done. But she looked great and, you know, it was worth it. So, you know, luckily that, that hair beauty industry, the, the lady who does the hair, she actually moved here to Miami.
- [33:59]
B
Oh, wow.
- [34:00]
A
Yeah, she actually moved here to Miami because that's amazing. Because she started getting very popular.
- [34:04]
B
Right.
- [34:04]
A
And there's a lot of demand. Yes, right. So I highly recommend that industry guys.
- [34:09]
B
Telling hair industry is booming.
- [34:10]
A
It's huge.
- [34:11]
B
Listen, no matter what, if you just learn certain skills that are top dollar, like, you'll always be able to make money. Just think about it. Like when I was doing hair, I was making $600 a day. I believe I always have a little saying, $600 a day to keep the stress away.
- [34:27]
A
I love that.
- [34:28]
B
So with that being said, you know, it's more than enough things that you can learn out here. And the power of just having your cell phone in your hand is no excuse. You can, you can go on YouTube and get bits and pieces and learn from experts like ourselves, but having that mentor that's going to guide and lead you in the right direction, connecting yourself, networking. Because once again, your network is your net worth. So. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
- [34:51]
A
And then, you know, just because you come into one industry doesn't mean you're going to stay there forever. You know, you transition from doing hair, not doing funding real estate deals, arbitrage, you know, podcasting.
- [35:04]
B
It really. Yeah, it really takes you based on the industries that you're in, the connections that you make. It can, it's like a transition, like a tree branch where you have these different avenues that you can take. So don't just limit yourself, but you want to build one place before you just jump all over.
- [35:21]
A
No, absolutely. That is key right there. And I love that you brought that up, because a lot of people are like, well, I'm trying to do this, I'm trying to do this, I'm trying to do this. I was like, wait a minute, minute. What is your main source? But I think that happens to everybody.
- [35:30]
B
Yeah. Especially as an entrepreneur.
- [35:32]
A
Oh, yeah. 100.
- [35:33]
B
You have ADHD at the brain.
- [35:34]
A
Well, it's the. The shiny object syndrome.
- [35:37]
B
Yeah.
- [35:37]
A
Right. It's just like, am I doing the wrong thing? Because my friend or my family member is getting, you know, making a lot of money doing this right now or, you know, become financially free faster. Everybody got their journey. Guys, lock in on one thing. Give it a minimum of a year. But go hard.
- [35:51]
B
But go.
- [35:52]
A
Go hard. That is the key right there.
- [35:53]
B
Telling you.
- [35:55]
A
Okay, so, all right, this is going to be good. Ready?
- [35:59]
B
Give it to me.
- [36:00]
A
You can't cheat. You can't cheat. So can you break down exactly what it means to you with the word leverage? Okay. All right. And how our audience can use it starting today?
- [36:16]
B
Yes. Leverage. Leverage can be. Is broad. Right. So I'm going to always use myself, for example, in me helping clients. I help entrepreneurs leverage their personal credit to obtain six figures in funding or more based on their revenue. You can leverage your credit. You want to leverage your mindset. You want to leverage your connections, your friends. You want to leverage opportunities. Opportunities, love, speed. You want to leverage the knowledge. You want to leverage someone if they have the information that you desire to have or need, leverage them. Go to them and ask them, hey, can you help me in this direction? So leverage is very broad. You can leverage assets. If you have a boat or you have a home, you know, you can be able to pull equity from there, or if you need to sell it or refinance it, whatever the case, you can leverage that to be able to create another stream of income. So therefore, you can invest more. So to me, that's what leverage stands for. Now, the second part was that that.
- [37:20]
A
That's. That's what it is. You answered it perfectly. You know, and how. How can the audience actually start using it now?
- [37:26]
B
Yeah, like really the first step, if you don't come from a lot of money, you want to leverage that credit. There's no excuses. You. Even if you don't have the money, you can use chat GPT. Leverage Chat GPT. Start sending out those dispute letters. Clean your credit profile so you can leverage your credit to access capital. So therefore you can create more streams of income for your, for your lifestyle. Yeah, yeah.
- [37:49]
A
So it's, it's basically, you know, creating a plan, executing on it, creating the credit. If your credit's not at 700.
- [37:55]
B
Yeah.
- [37:55]
A
And then come talk to you.
- [37:57]
B
Yeah, come see me, come see me.
- [37:59]
A
Come talk to you. And then you get lazy.
- [38:01]
B
It's okay, I can help you with all the above. We'll take you from zero to hero.
- [38:06]
A
I love that, I love that. So, okay, this is going to be a great, great question. So currently, right now, how many followers do you have on Instagram?
- [38:16]
B
113K.
- [38:18]
A
Okay, 113,000 followers on Instagram. So I already know what people are thinking, what they're listening to this, whether they're watching or listening. They're probably like, well, that's the reason why she's so successful. She got all those followers, right? And I always get that all the time. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no. I started with a zero followers, right? So here's my question to you. Let's say I strip away your Instagram, your followers, your brand.
- [38:43]
B
That's a good question.
- [38:43]
A
What are the three unshakable skills or mindsets that would help you rebuild everything from scratch?
- [38:49]
B
Oh, that's a great, great question. The three unshakable skills is my mouth. I'm a talker. I'm gonna always connect with like minded individuals. I'm gonna always, you know, I don't care who you are in the world, I'm going to make a connection with you, especially if that's just the energy is there. Number two is the mindset. Nobody can take that from me. So I'm going to always be able to learn more in order for me to earn more. And number three is really networking. Networking is a powerful tool because honestly, I'm going to be honest, I really didn't get a lot of my clients from social media. My clients came from building relationships with other individuals like in the car industry, real estate industry, just networking groups that sends me clients because of the relationships I have built with them. So therefore they believe in me. And that means that they're speaking highly of me, to send their clients to me. So with that being said, a lot of my clientele really does come from relationships that I have built closely. And I prefer that.
- [39:50]
A
I was gonna say closed mouths don't get fed. It's so true. Right.
- [39:54]
B
Listen, my, my ex boyfriend taught me that when I was like 19. Cause I always used to be Scared to act, ask for things or talk, speak up. But he was like, benjetta, a closed mouth won't get fed. So, baby, if I don't know, you won't get it.
- [40:08]
A
That's true. I try to just same thing, speak up. Hey, let me tell you, entrepreneur, there's no room for you to be shy in here. You can't be an introvert. And if you are an introvert, you gotta find an extroverted mentor to go ahead and help you come out of your shell. Right?
- [40:22]
B
Yes, that's definitely true.
- [40:23]
A
I love that. Okay, so this is the question I ask all my guests that come up the level of podcast. Now this is your moment. Got this camera right here.
- [40:32]
B
Talk to me.
- [40:33]
A
So give some motivational. Yes. Anything from your heart.
- [40:41]
B
Yes.
- [40:41]
A
That will help somebody level up today in 2025, especially with your background very similar to mine, you went through some hardships. Single mother, two kids and. But you know, you built a successful business, you helped a lot of people. So what would you tell right now to the single mother who's watching this right now that's seeing you in awe, like, there's no way she. This can't be real.
- [41:05]
B
I'm telling you, it's real. So what I would say is, hi, queen. My name is Benjetta Steele, and I understand truly realistically what you're going through. You might be tired. You're tired of working, you're tired of, you know, cooking, you're tired of struggling, you're tired of going through the trials and tribulations that have been stacked against you. But that's not the end. I want you to sit back and I want you to grow a closer relationship to your higher power, whoever you believe in that can help you get to the next level. Believe, stay motivated, write down your affirmations and be able to speak it, because the tongue is a very powerful tool. So speak into existence what you desire to do, what you desire to have, and make small steps towards those bigger goals. Every week, do something different. If you're learning something new, if you need to fix your credit, start small, work towards your bigger goals and be able to take a little bit of time for yourself. So therefore, you're having that self care and you're putting a focus on what's going to change your life. You know, if, if, if it's hard being a single parent, see if someone can watch the kids for you at least twice out the week. So therefore you can take some time to focus and just learn for yourself. Turn off the tv, listen to some educational podcasts. That's what I had to do. I turned out the whole cable queen. I promise you. Stop. Stop paying for stuff like that. Remove any negativity that's in your life. Like if it's a, a, a bad man that's in your life, that is, you know, verbal abuse, mental abuse, let them go. Because that's not what God has for you. He cannot bless you with something better until you remove the old and negative. Remove those old friends from your life. If they're not willing to empower you or help you with your children or help you get to the next level, remove them. It's okay. Because what I do know, on this journey, I went through that and I felt alone. But when I say God will send people to you on that journey and you'll be like, oh my God, where these people come from? Which it can be scary because it's like, what do they need? What do they want from me? But just know you asked for something. And once again, that tongue is so powerful. So when you ask for it, it will deliver. It might not come the way you want it to, but it's going to come right on time when he's ready for you to have it. So believe in yourself, wipe your pretty face, stop crying. Because God gonna work it out for you. Just keep on believing, keep on pushing. And you got this. And look back six to 12 months, those problems you had six to 12 months will no longer even exist. You'll laugh at this. Keep pushing queens. They resilient, stay motivated, stay dedicated and know that everything will change one day at a time.
- [43:49]
A
That was fire. That's mudder motivation right there. That's what I'm talking about. And where can they find you?
- [43:56]
B
Well, you can find me on Instagram, which is one of my. That's my main platform at Iambingetta the boss. And you also can find me on YouTube at I am boss lady. I am boss lady. Sorry, too many platforms. And then Facebook at Benjetta Seal. And then last but not least, if you want to do like a 15 minute strategy call so therefore we can analyze your goals, you can contact me at 919-670-5112 and hit my link tree at link tree Benjetta Steel.
- [44:31]
A
And we're also going to drop her link down in the comments, guys. So you guys are able to go ahead and actually schedule an informational call. With that being said, guys, this was a powerful, powerful interview. I really respect absolutely everything that you said. I mean, you remind me so much of my mother's journey. I mean, everything that you're going through, even a lot of the core values that you have with my wife, which is amazing. I wish you could. I wish she was here in Miami. So you.
- [44:59]
B
It's all right because I'm gonna be back.
- [45:01]
A
I know she's back.
- [45:03]
B
Only the beginning.
- [45:04]
A
You guys probably could connect on socials right now after this, but I think.
- [45:08]
B
I already follow her. Okay.
- [45:09]
A
Okay. Yeah, I'll connect you guys after this, then. That'd be cool. All right, guys, so that's another episode here at the level of podcast with Paul Alex. Look, look, we are ranked number one in business. We're ranked top 25 in all categories. We're trying to get up there, guys. So share this with somebody that you love, that you actually want to help out, okay? If you know anybody that's going through it right now, look, that is not going to be their end result. We're here to level them up. We're here to help the world. And we'll catch you on the next one. Thanks for listening up to the Level up podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to share with a family friend and everyone you know who's ready to level. Leave a five star review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you tune in. It really helps spreading the word. And don't forget to check out officialpaulalex.com for more episodes and resources to kickstart your journey. Let's level up together.