We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Derick Vogel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Derick below.

Derick, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

We provide top level credit coaching and education on a very personal level. We believe that without the education of how credit really works then credit repair is not as impactful, it’s an integral part of the process. Several companies can help get items deleted for a lot of people but if they do not teach them how to manage their credit report, individual credit accounts, and their finances then it’s does not have the same impact. Clients come to us all the time from other companies frustrated because they do not get any help on how credit reporting to the three major bureau’s works. They tell us the received no communication or when they do get communication it is with a call center.

At Credit Absolute we focus on the 5 credit areas that impact everyone’s credit scores: 1. Payment History 2. Credit Cards 3. Age of Credit 4. Proper Mix of Credit 5. New Credit. Once someone understands how to manage these five components, they can significantly improve what will happen when they apply for a loan, credit card or pay an account, open a new account and they are able to read a credit report. I have been in the financial industry for 20 years and owned Credit Absolute for 10 years. Through applying credit coaching and education as our top priority with new clients we have been able to help thousands of people. They also have the knowledge to pass down to their kids and family members.

Derick, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was a Mortgage Banker/Loan Officer for 10 years before I started Credit Absolute in 2012. I started to learn about credit by helping people get approved for home loans. When the market crashed back in 2004-2005, I had a chance to move to Costa Rica and help run a mortgage business and sell real estate, but my passion was running our boating company. When I moved home, I got back into mortgages and just wasn’t happy. I was introduced to credit repair through a friend of mine. I didn’t really like the business model and wanted to do it differently. The business model was very similar to almost all credit companies today who are just taking people’s money and not providing any real support in credit education, client communication, proper resources, attorney support and a one-on-one personal touch.

I personally went through credit hell over 15 years ago and tried one of these types of companies. It was a frustrating experience and a very enlightening one too. It gave me the awareness to see how I could create a better customer experience and environment for people to actually feel good about wanting to fix their credit instead of fearing they are going to be taken advantage of.

Changing the credit experience for the client to feel comfortable has helped clients overcome their fears and frustrating challenges. We are a performance-based company which is extremely rare in this industry. We only charge the clients if we are successful or provide value and coaching. They get something from our process as many other companies just charge a monthly fee and see how long they can keep the client before they cancel. We provide support in all areas of credit including Student Loan support, Attorney for FCRA violations, Debt Settlement Review, Attorney for Tax Lien Issues, Credit Card Support, Disputing Negative or Inaccurate Accounts, Bankruptcy Review, Real Estate Agents, Mortgage Brokers, and anything they would need assistance with that has to do with finances or credit. If we aren’t licensed to help them in a specific area, then we can refer them out to out trusted advisor and resources.
We strive to provide people with a second chance and create a future where they understand the impact circumstances have on their credit. Knowledge isn’t power, but through applying knowledge and sharing it with those they love, our clients change the future for generations to come.

Our top 5 values are:

1. Integrity- Integrity filters through everything we do. It is who we are. People trust us with their most personal information and financial history along with the hope that their circumstances can improve. We honor that trust.

2.Education- We educate our clients on the credit process, teaching them the rules of the game. We provide a foundation of knowledge, tools and resources which levels the playing field and inspires our clients to succeed.

3.Empathy- We have all experienced challenging situations, and those situations need not define who we are or limit who we can be. At Credit Absolute, we meet and accept people where they are and guide them along their path to where they want to be.

4.Confidence- Our clients’ confidence is paramount. We use vetted resources, a proven, proprietary system, education and personalized experiences to improve our clients’ credit awareness, knowledge and position. This helps empower our clients’ confidence in themselves and their ability to make quality financial decisions based on a solid education.

5.Experience- At Credit Absolute our client’s become family. We strive to create a unique and first-class experience while providing home-town service and big city results.

I’m most proud of my team, they emulate the values and education we strive for. We are proud to see our clients overcome their credit challenges and get their credit integrity, confidence and financial purchasing power back. We are grateful to see them succeed and accomplish their goals.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Getting funding can be very difficult, almost impossible if you don’t have the right mentors and financial knowledge. When I started my business, I cashed in my 401k and it was not very much. Most of my family members told me I was a fool and shouldn’t make that choice because they perceived it as irresponsible. I knew what I wanted in life and was focused on my goals and vision, nothing was going to stop me. I was able to get a couple of business credit cards in the very beginning as well. They were very small limits because I was still fixing my own credit.

So, getting funding with minimal income or good financial history (At least two years) is extremely challenging. With the little money I had I was able to get my company off the ground. I was just working from my home for the first six months and then I met Brandon of Small Business 101 who began advising me and it changed everything. Initially I was working from my home office and Brandon gave me an office space to get things going and build my team. Brandon taught me everything I needed to know about building and running a successful business. 

Just knowing what a P&L and balance sheet is will make a huge difference when you’re trying to get approved for a real business loan. I see so many new business owners trying to get funding but still do not have tax returns, a personal email, work address, website and no business checking account. Once I began applying and implementing what I was learning with Brandon I was able to obtain an SBA loan. I was the first credit repair company in the nation to ever get approved for an SBA loan which was 100K . This was a great feat and accomplishment. It changed the trajectory of my business and helped me achieve the level of success we are experiencing today. There is a lot that goes into building a fit company and doing your books the right way. Getting a good CPA and bookkeeper is key here.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Time, time, time and more time. In the beginning there was a lot of door knocking, networking, events and reading. It’s important to understand your market and the clients you want to work with. What language do they speak and I’m not talking about English or Spanish but their work language. In each workspace they speak a certain language about their products or processes. Building relationships has been key to developing a good reputation. Its important people can see you follow through with your actions and not just tell them you are going to do something. Online reviews were key for me too. Google, BBB, Yelp, Facebook all of them. I have more reviews than any other company locally in Arizona and everyone will search you online to see if you are legit. I get more clients because of my online reviews, more than anything else. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.creditabsolute.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creditabsolute/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreditAbsolute
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creditabsolute/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Credit_Absolute
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Creditabsolute/featured
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/credit-absolute-scottsdale