In today’s article, I’m going to share a few highlights from my interview with credit repair millionaire Vamba Leon Freeman. Vamba went from being a refugee in a new country to a promising career in IT, and then he got injured and lost everything he had, including the roof over his head. Like so many of our Millionaire’s Club Members who were once homeless, Vamba did not let the setbacks stop him from his goals. Now, he’s fulfilled his lifelong dream of helping as many people as he can through his own credit repair business, which he built up to a million dollars and a thousand clients, in just a few years –– and he did it all using his Credit Repair Cloud account.
My personal vision is to someday put ALL of our Credit Heroes’ names upon my Millionaire Wall. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I get up every morning and do what I do. And if Vamba can come from nothing and overcome really tough obstacles to achieve big things, I believe you can do it, too. That’s why I’m sharing with you the highlights of our eye-opening interview:
Before Credit Repair Cloud, were you doing everything manually in your credit repair business?
Yes, I was doing everything manually before. I didn’t have CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software. It made my life simple. Once Credit Repair Cloud was introduced to me, it truly changed everything!
How does it feel to win the Millionaire’s Club Award?
It feels great. It’s an awesome achievement. I'm an immigrant from Sierra Leone, a refugee from two wars. I truly should not be here; that's what I like to tell people. I've seen the worst of life, and I'm still here, and I’m fighting hard to achieve. Before credit repair, I earned an IT degree, but my dream was to help people. It has always been in my nature to help people. And credit repair for me has been very personal because I've been there, and I know how it feels when things are bad. Every time I get kudos, every time I get a positive review, a kind email, that's fuel to my life. Credit Repair Cloud has truly made it possible. If it wasn't available, I’d probably give up by now, because it would be overwhelming trying to keep track of every client, to keep track of all the work, and especially dealing with all of the updates every month... I know I would have given up by now. Credit Repair Cloud has surely simplified things for me.
What got you into credit repair?
I had a great job, and I lost my job when I got injured and I couldn't work. I lost everything! Because I couldn’t work, I went homeless, and I was homeless for almost six months. I always tell people there's always a reset moment in everybody's life. I knew that was my reset moment. I knew there was something I was supposed to learn from what was happening to me. My credit was damaged because I wasn't working. Being homeless, I couldn't finance a piece of gum if I had to. So that's what really opened my eyes into the importance of credit and how credit makes this whole economy, how the recovery revolves around credit. So, when I tell people it’s personal for me, that’s because it is. Every time I talk to my clients, there's no robot involved. I talk to every single one of my clients. I enroll every single one of my clients, and all consultations are done through me. So, for me, I want to know their reason for repairing their credit. You always need to find out what truly motivates someone.
How did you first start to learn credit repair?
I first learned credit repair when I first got into my credit, my credit rot. I started doing a little research, and I found out that about 43% of U.S. households have issues with their credit. That's me. I'm one of the 43%. And it turns out a lot of people don't know where to turn, a lot of people like myself! I didn't even believe that you could challenge some of these things or your credit, that you could reach out to creditors and try to settle some of your debt. I believed in the myth that in seven years everything will be fine. That was my remedy to credit repair. Seven years everything will be fine. Wow, I did my research and actually reached out to the fellow that helped me and I asked him to teach me how to repair credit.
How did you start to turn that into a business? Was that a long process?
When I first started I asked a few family members, “Hey, can I help you with your credit?” There was a learning curve and people turned me down, they didn’t want to release the personal information because that's not how they knew me. But that never deterred me, because I knew that once I helped just one person, it would lead to another person, and another, and another. I remember when I first started, the first two months I only had three clients.
But you got them results. Yes. And then you had stories to tell to the next client. Exactly. Did it take a lot of money to launch the business initially?
Is this your first business or have you always been entrepreneurial?
I've always been entrepreneurial. But this is my first successful business. I've sold vacuums, I’ve done marketing, and more, but all of these things prepared me for this moment. Every single sales job that I've done on the side prepared me for how to talk to my clients and how to solve issues. It got me here.
You know this is my first successful business, too. I tried lots and lots of things, and I was homeless as well. I've interviewed so many of our Millionaire’s Club Members, and a whole lot of them have been homeless. It's really fascinating.
So, I want to know, what's the most important thing you've learned in your business?
The most important thing I've learned so far in this industry is to be patient with people. It’s important to be patient and be humble, and definitely not let success get to your head.
I think everything that I went through, it's helped me to be humble. It's taught me that what is given can be taken. So that's what really got me to be more humble, knowing where I'm from, and what others go through on another side of the world.
It's amazing. And now you have close to 1000 clients. And I don't see a big online presence for your business. How do you get so many clients, what's your secret?
I'm result-driven. I always tell people I haven't run any ads in over two years. The majority of my clients are referral-based, and I have clients from Seattle down to Fresno, all the way to Midwest, Indiana, New York, and down to Florida. It’s all been word of mouth. I make sure I stay on top of things and execute everything that I say I’m going to do, to the best of my ability. I am so overwhelmed with business right now that I'm afraid to put up ads, because I don’t want to lower my quality. I don't care about quantity, I care more about quality. I care about the level of service that I'm providing for my clients.
So, you're not running ads, you're not doing social media...People always think they need all these bells and whistles, and automations and doodads, but it really is just the basics of being good with people, isn't it?
Yeah, that's all. I never skip a problem, never skip a process. All of that counts, it just shows that you care, that you're not just taking the name and jumping on to the next person. All of my conversations start with, “How are you doing?”
I take it on a personal level, and people truly appreciate that.
I have a network of realtors that I send clients to when I’ve repaired their credit. I have lenders that I work with, too. I'll make sure I place clients in the right hands –– somebody that has the same values as I do. That’s how I've been so successful thus far in credit repair.
And those realtors and mortgage people –– are they sending you clients as well?
Yes, they are. I get multiple emails from them every day, I get text messages, phone calls, and they always send me clients. I get a lot of shout-outs from their clientele. They say, “That's the guy to go to.” And that, right there, tells me I'm doing something right!
How often do you communicate with your clients? Every 30 days?
Every 30 days, we actually do our import, take a screenshot and email them the progress because most clients don't log into the portal to see what's going on. Either we send them a text message and tell them to log into the portal to see what's going on. But every 30 days, we do imports and we send them an update just to keep them engaged.
My business has grown based on my level of professionalism towards my clients. Just taking care of them is pretty cheap. Treat others the way you like to be treated. Am I perfect? No, I'm not perfect. I will do my best to make sure that if I'm wrong, I call my clients and let them know that I'm wrong. We all make mistakes. I have made my mistakes in this business. But it's all about how you treat your clients when you know you're wrong. Bad news travels fast. That's the biggest thing to remember.
What do you think is your biggest superpower in business?
My biggest superpower is my kids! I always said to myself that poverty ends with me. I said I was going to be the first person to hit that million-dollar mark. And I've hit that. Now that's my biggest superpower in business, to leave a legacy for them. Now the sky's the limit for them, hopefully, because every generation is supposed to live better than the next generation, and I'm doing better than my dad. My dad did better than his dad. And I want them to do better than me because now they see there is no glass ceiling.
What's your advice to anyone right now out there who wants to start a credit repair business?
Do it! 43% of Americans need help with their credit. You can't go wrong. But remember, if you do decide to do it, if you do decide to help others, don't just get into it for the money. Money will come. But, it's not what it's all about. Some people get into it hoping, wishing, thinking they'll get into it, make quick money, and leave. If you're going to get into this business, get into it, and just have that feel of a dream mentality. And that has been, that has been my mindset since I started this business. And I'm building it, and they're coming. I’m not running ads. I don't have a Facebook presence. The only thing I have is Credit Repair Cloud to help me with some automations. I'm just taking care of people. That's my primary objective is to help people. And the rest will follow.
It’s really about helping people and changing lives. And if you do that, the money does come.
It does. It does. It will come in abundance, once you help people and keep them happy. That I will tell you for sure. I don't chase my clients for money. My clients have my cell phone number. They have my desk number. They have the office number. They have my email. My cell phone numbers are on my card. If they want it, I give it to them. There's no such thing as “Oh, I can’t get a hold of that guy.” Because I know that's one of the biggest mistakes people make in this industry where the clients cannot get a hold of them.
It was a pleasure talking to you. And I just want to thank you for putting together such fabulous software. It does exactly what you say it’s supposed to do. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to even operate it. All you need is a heart and your willingness to help others. And you have an awesome team. There has not been a time when I have emailed you guys and requested help where I don't get a pingback immediately. There hasn't been a time where I ever felt like Credit Repair Cloud is not the software for me. It has been a hit every single year. Your vision has truly changed my life. And, I will continuously help people vicariously through your software.
And that’s it –– Those are just SOME of the highlights from my interview with Vamba Freeman. Once you watch my interview with Vamba and see that you are just as resilient as he is, you’ll know that no matter what challenges come your way, you can overcome them and reach your own goals. Then, you can live your dream, and while you’re at it, you’ll change lotta lives so other people can live their dreams, too.
Pretty amazing, right?!
And one more thing! If you want to get certified in disputing and launch your very own credit repair business in just a couple of weeks, I invite you to join our Credit Hero Challenge!
It’s an amazing program that has helped tons of Credit Heroes get their first clients, get certified in disputing, and gain confidence in knowing they are launching their credit repair business on a solid foundation that allows them to grow and scale FAST!
We’re starting again soon, so SIGN UP NOW at creditherochallenge.com!