We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Gibbs recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
Everything I do is to financially empower underserved, underrepresented, underbanked minority communities. My financial products and services provide hope to those in these communities that they can change their financial situations. Everybody may not have money to invest into one of my coaching program or products. However, they can get financial education from me through one of my books, social media, or low cost courses. Or maybe, an organization has contracted me to host a workshop in the community, where underserved communities can learn financial education from me for FREE. I have had many clients come from living paycheck to paycheck to saving and investing $5K-20K a year. Not only do I provide them with the education, but I also teach them how to make positive relationships with their money, no matter how much money they have. I am also realistic and honest with them. It is never where you start, it is where you go.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Gibbs Financial Fitness, founded in 2016, is a Consumer Financial services firm. We offer Financial Coaching, Debt Management, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting. Also, we have a financial literacy credit building program we will be releasing very soon. What sets us apart from others is my passion, education, delivery, and experience. I have put a lot of sweat, blood, and tears into building my company. I want all my clients to become financially literate and amass wealth. Since 2016, I have been able to help thousands of people strengthen their relationship with money, which is our slogan. I have published three finance-related books: Monetize Your Passion, How to Architect Your Kids Financial IQ, and Financial Literacy Decoded. I have been featured in several national publications. I have received many awards and accolades for the work I do in my community. That is what I most proud of with my brand. I want everybody reading this to know, I am here to help you accomplish your financial goals, whatever they may be. And always remember your current financial situation is temporary. We can fix it and we can do that together. There is no financial situation, I have not had a solution for yet and that makes me feel great. So, whether if you have poor credit and you want to buy a house, need to save $20,000, need funding for your business, want to reduce your tax liability, pay your debt off early and etc. We can help you with it and we have testimonies for our work.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The COVID-19 Pandemic forced me to realign and revamp my business because of the health and financial effects of the virus. Now, I am the author of a best-selling children’s book, “How to Architect Your Kid’s Financial IQ”, that focuses on introducing and emphasizing financial literacy for even the youngest family members and I authored another best-selling book “Financial Literacy Decoded” to help reduce financial illiteracy amongst adults in underserved communities.
To be a successful financial planning professional and business owner, it is essential to master how to pivot and adjust focus on ever-changing targets. For most clients at the beginning stages of planning, things do not always go according to plan. For some of my own personal goals and plans, things also do not develop as imagined – but it never stops me from trying until I accomplish what I set out to complete. Being flexible in that mindset and readily available to execute an alternative plan stems from my experience with overcoming challenges in my education and in other financial planning cases. Remaining that individual that is consistently unwavering and resilient has helped my relationship with clients and overall reputation as a credible, positive community financial planning and wellness resource.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Financial literacy has been a part of my life since I was a young child. My grandfather, who was the son of a sharecropper with an elementary school education, started teaching me the principles of financial literacy when I was 4-5 years old. My grandfather was a first-generation college graduate and has been an entrepreneur since 1981. When I went to college, I knew how to balance a checkbook, follow a budget, save money, invest in the trade market, and how to obtain a 700+ credit score. What I quickly realized is that my peers did not have these skills. So, while in college, I began teaching my colleagues financial principles and that is when I discovered my passion for it. I am proud to say in 2022, I have built a six-figure business and helped thousands of people with their finances. I am not in the business of helping people for personal profit. I understand that one’s financial journey is a lifetime occurrence requiring diligence, knowledge, and execution to maintain. It’s her mission to simply be the guiding light through the bumps and unforeseen curves encountered along that journey. Realizing the direct correlation between poverty and crime, especially within black and brown communities, I feel personally responsible for using my extensive finance and money management knowledge to teach those who may have never fathomed a financially free life, beyond generations of paycheck-to-paycheck survival.
Contact Info:
- Website: gibbsfinancialfitness.com
- Instagram: @finlitrachel
- Facebook: Rachel Gibbs
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelsgibbs/
Image Credits
Aaron R. Smalls