OWN YOUR BRAND SHOW with Victoria Odekomaya

From Shame to Success: A Financial Freedom Story | Epi 67

• Victoria Odekomaya | LiMStudios Network • Episode 67

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In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Jennifer Williams, founder of All In One Tax Services and nonprofit leader of Zetta Nicole' Girls, to talk about taxes, financial freedom, and the power of community. She opens up about her own credit repair journey—going from a 530 credit score to 815 and buying her home in the process.

We also dive into the importance of not being ashamed of financial setbacks, why credit repair is possible for anyone, and how her nonprofit is empowering young women in Indiana and beyond. Whether you’re looking for tax preparation in all 50 states, advice on credit repair, or inspiration to push past your own financial hurdles, this episode will give you both hope and practical direction.


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📚 Check out Jennifer’s books on Amazon:

ABOUT

Victoria Odekomaya is a proud Nigerian American whose 23-year journey to U.S. citizenship shaped her belief that everyone has a purpose and that she is a vessel God uses to help leaders fulfill theirs.

She is the founder of LiMStudios, a full-service creative agency and state-of-the-art content studio in Indianapolis. Through LiMStudios, Victoria helps small businesses become known, paid, and remembered through high-quality photography, video, podcasting, and content marketing strategy. She is also the creator of Boss Ladies Magazine and host of The Own Your Brand Show, platforms dedicated to amplifying female leaders who are ready to step fully into their power and impact others.

With nearly two decades in drug research and her long journey to citizenship, Victoria understands the perseverance and clarity it takes to build something lasting. That same drive fuels her mission to help entrepreneurs show up, grow, and leave a legacy. Since launching the Boss Ladies Campaign in 2022, she has helped raise over $30,000 for local nonprofits while empowering women to feel confident, credible, and celebrated.

Follow Victoria’s journey through LiMStudios, Boss Ladies Magazine, and The Own Your Brand Show, and join her in amplifying voices, building legacy, and making impact.

📩 For sponsorship or business inquiries:
mtr.bio/limstudios | hello@thelimstudios.com | Text 260-777-7211

Speaker 1:

A lot of people are ashamed to have that conversation because they're like, you know, I know, it happens.

Speaker 2:

We all fall short sometimes. But that's okay, you can repair your credit. I did it myself when I bought my house. What? 11 years ago? I purchased my home with a 530 credit score. That was in 2014. So I pulled myself out of a 530 to a 850 credit score. So it can't be done. I went through a divorce and he actually left me swimming in bureaus and I didn't know how I was gonna, like, survive. It took me two years to get over the divorce, when I cried every single day for six months straight. Um, until one day I just said okay, we have sadness, we have cries, we have beds. What are you gonna do now? So at this point, it's like they say when you at the very bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. That's right. So I just started kind of like pulling myself up piece by piece rope by rope.

Speaker 1:

what was the first thing you want to? One of the things that you did to pull yourself up? If you can go into that detail, I'm out of crap. I'm not crying. Hi, how are you doing? I'm wonderful, and yourself I'm doing good. You look amazing. Oh, excuse you, you do too. God love the earrings, thank you. Well, thank you so much for joining me. Thank you for having me. I'm here with my husband, systemically loud. Well, we're outside. If you're wondering, we are in Columbus, indiana, today. This is part of the the last week of our Goldman Sachs, and so we've decided I was like, let me interview some amazing fellow Scholars that are doing incredible things, and I'm so thankful I just to hear your story. I know it's up a little bit before, but very inspiring what you're doing, thank you. Now. Some people I feel like who's she talking to? I don't you're doing. Thank you Now. Some people might be like who is she talking to? I don't know who she's talking to. Well, let's change that. Tell us your name and just a little bit about you.

Speaker 2:

So I am Jennifer Williams. I'm owner and operator of All-in-One Tax Services. I do have a non-profit organization, zetta Nicole Girls, where I mentor youth girls ages 9 through 17. I do run around the state company as well where I have a couple rental properties all-in-one transportation and I am the author of four different was the little way surrounded around uh, financial literacy for youth and adults. So I kind of, if you kind of like, listen to everything that I do have. The different businesses I run is all surrounded around helping people.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love helping people. I love giving back, making an impact in people's lives, because a lot of us fall short in those areas. A lot of times people don't want to help us out. So I just remember certain things that I endured throughout my life over the course of 40 got to be 46 years, so I just remember when people didn't want to help me. So I made a pact with myself that once I get on my feet, land on my feet and be able to attain certain resources, I wanted to be able to give back and give back to the community, even teach my youth girls to give back for community work as well.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing, and you are doing that. I know you just launched a book. I'm going to talk about that. Like um, last year or so was very was a pivotal moment in your life, like a lot of things happened. I remember you were telling me about if you're okay to talk about the divorce and, you know, losing weight in the hospital, all of that. Like I mean, I just kind of want to get into that a little bit, because before you became successful, there's a journey that went through. You know that and a lot of people that are, you know they might see us now thinking all like she's a right, but they didn't know what. What went you like what you've gone through the shoes that you, you know. So I kind of want to step back a little bit right, just tell us a little bit about, like how you. Maybe let's start. We'd like your how you started your basics. Let's just talk, let's start with that, and then we'll progress through the situation that happened and kind of basically go in a timeline.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I actually started like my tax business out of my home, because I went from probably doing like three to eight people a year working out of my third bedroom so now I probably have over like three, four hundred clients. I purchased my building in 2021. I was originally approved for my loan a week before the pandemic hit oh my God, yeah. So I actually sat on that pre-approval for a whole year. I didn't purchase the building until the next following year and even though we were still in COVID, people thought I was crazy for purchasing the building.

Speaker 1:

I was going to say like seriously like everybody was running the other way and you were purchasing a building.

Speaker 2:

But you know what they said in the down season millionaires are built. Say it again for the people at the boxes In the down season millionaires are built. And God told me it was time. God said don't look at what's going on right now. I need you to trust me, that's right. Remember what the lady said today about trusting and having faith and everything like that. So I didn't look at the circumstances. That is what was going on around me, because if I did, I wouldn't be here, yeah, and doing the things I'm doing, because I just took the leap of faith and I listened to god's voice, not everybody else, because everybody told me like, don't do it right, because a lot of people was filing bankruptcy, closing their, their businesses. My business was built in the pandemic Wow, true story.

Speaker 1:

You know it's funny, because I'm glad that you said that, because a lot of the things that we hear is about how all the businesses that we're closing down, that we heard a lot of negative, how people were dying, but there was a lot of good that came out of it too. You know, I felt like God was just restructuring things too. You know so wow. So you, I felt like God was just restructuring things too. So wow. So you started with eight clients a year and now we're about 400 and counting and counting. That is amazing. So what was that journey? What did that look like for you? Were there times where you felt like God, when am I going to have more than eight clients? How long did you have eight clients for before I?

Speaker 2:

had eight clients probably. I started like 2016. I had eight clients probably I started like 2016. I had been doing taxes before that, but like just doing people's taxes 2016. 2021,. I bought my building yeah, so that's five years. Yeah, five years. You were grinding for five years, yeah. And then I just took the leap of faith. I went through a divorce and he actually left me swimming in bureaus and I didn't know how I was gonna like survive and I just, you know, I told the story before. I just remember one day, the day that he left, I was laying on the floor for three hours crying and I was just asking God what I'm gonna do, because at that moment in my life I thought my life was over with. But how'd I know what I know now? Back then, my life is just beginning.

Speaker 1:

That's right you see, one of those things where you know, I mean, we men, some of us, when we love, we love hard, right, like what committed. You know, we took the vows for the long run, and then you, you kind of hope that this is the person you stay with forever. And then life happens, you know, and you're like good, I mean, how did I get here? Yeah, you know, so that must have been very difficult, I can imagine. You know, I probably like cried more than three hours.

Speaker 2:

Oh no, that was just that day okay, it took me two years to get over the divorce, when I cried every single day for six months straight, um, until one day I just said, okay, we have said in this who we have cried, we have begged, yep, we got. I mean, we prayed over and over again. What are you going to do now? So at this point it's like they say, when you're at the very bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. That's right. So I just started kind of like pulling myself up, piece by piece, rope by rope, and I mean it was exhausting.

Speaker 1:

What was the first thing, one of the things that you did to pull yourself up.

Speaker 2:

If you can go into that detail, First thing I did was the day after the divorce, I incorporated one of my business. Okay, girl. 24 hours after that, wow. And then I want to say, a couple months after that, that's when I incorporated the tax business Okay, I didn't incorporate the tax business until 2019. Oh, wow, oh, okay. So you were doing it for three years before you even, wow, absolutely I had got my credentials with the IRS in 2017.

Speaker 2:

So everything was just happening and I just realized over the course like I was evolving and I thought that this person was going to evolve with me. God said no, this is for you. You have to go on this journey. I'm ending that, right, but? But I didn't understand why things were happening. But now I see why. Yeah, that's, it took place. And, honestly, my grandmother told me like one day, you're gonna be happy that certain events happen. When I tell you, I think god, god sees what's a here and he not going to let us crash and burn. It seemed like I felt like I was being punished, but God was saving my life?

Speaker 1:

Or did you feel like God, where are you? I need you right now, because I feel like every time I'm going through a hard situation, I'm like where are you, god? Why are you letting me suffer like this?

Speaker 2:

But I feel like he's building our cares in certain areas that we are weak in, because he's preparing us for the things that we've been praying for. That's right. So it's like I have to strengthen you there because you asking for this, yeah, and I don't want certain people to be able to run over you, take certain things from you. So it's gonna hurt a little bit, but I need you to trust me and what I'm doing for you. And it's like what I understand. Like I tell people I didn't. I haven't raised in church my whole life, but I didn't fully understand who god was, how. I was 38 years old when I went through that divorce and I know that god would never do anything to hurt you or harm you. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. He wants to prosper you, protect you, and sometimes we feel like god is breaking our heart, but like now, he's saving you.

Speaker 1:

I know right, but it's hard to see in that moment. Right, yeah, hindsight is 20 20, so we just have to trust the process absolutely and I'm grateful for everything that I went through seven years ago this day.

Speaker 2:

I wouldn't change anything because if certain events wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't be where I'm at and where I'm headed. So I'm like celebrate those things, those milestones, because they're cultivating you and so the woman or the man that you are transitional to be, and what God has already be destined of your life before you, was even placed in the world.

Speaker 1:

That's right, you know which is sister. Wow, so you incorporated your business, um, and then you started, you know, in 2019, when you basically kind of watched as a business, and then and started in 2019 when you basically kind of worked as a business and then and then I had when, I just remember, I had a vision board.

Speaker 2:

I did the vision board in 2016 and on the vision board, I had my tax office on there and I just remember once I did the incorporation, god said to me it's time to go find a building and I went out there learning people get pre-approvals. First I walked in faith. God told me to go start looking for a building. I started going shopping for buildings, didn't even have a pre-approval or nothing, but that was how big my faith was. You know what I'm saying, how I was trusting and believing in what God told me. And I just remember I went to platform to build it and this was the breakfast I ever been in my life, because I remember I went through a divorce, had to pay for an attorney, lost a lot. I was.

Speaker 2:

I went to that bank. I would never forget. I had $15 to my name and they asked me on the application how much is in your business account? I lied and said $1,500. Yeah, you gotta speak my face. They might say. They asked me on the application how much is in your business account? I lied and said $1,500. Yeah, yeah, you got to speak my face. That's what I say. But I said, well, they called me because I had good personal credit, because you know everything goes off the personal credit, but even though the business is in the business name. But they called me and was like okay, we need 20% down, is that going to be a problem, this area I?

Speaker 2:

I sat down, held the phone, I said no one big problem but in my mind I hung up the phone I said, lord, where am I gonna get this money? Just, you know what I'm saying. You told me over twenty seven thousand dollars had to put down and then. So I stayed straight and what god told me, trust. Maybe three, four days later the bank called me back and said there's been a change of events. They are now requesting 10% instead of 20%. Can you do that? I said I can. I still don't have 10%, but again, I cannot. And the bank didn't know you didn't have the 20%, they're not. But I'm telling you I still was being obedient. What God told me to do I promised you. I can't make this up. This is life.

Speaker 2:

Three weeks later, money just started coming in in droves. I lost my job Right after I had gotten my pre-approval. 24 hours before I got my pre-approval, I lost my job. I was a banker. Yes, I worked was before I got my pre-approval. I got my job. I lost my job. I was a banker. Yes, I already took the bank for three years.

Speaker 2:

Cool, there was a lot going on in your life this period. When I tell you it was transition. Transition. I lost my job one week before the pandemic and that was the first start of. I got an appointment because they told me that my business was a conflict of interest. They tried to find me on an, but the unemployment officer said it was nothing in their handbook, stating that I think, have my own business, I'm ready. Oh, guess what? I made more money on unemployment.

Speaker 2:

Then I didn't work it because, guess what? The pandemic hit. So I was getting that pandemic. Mike didn't turn around. The worst money came in. So when I say I didn't know all of this was gonna happen, in faith in what God told me to do, even though I only had $15 to my name, but I trusted Him and I'm telling you, when it was time to buy the building, I had money to close. They told me I had to put 10% down. I had prayed to God for favor at the closing table, favor on the price. I didn't even have to put 10% down and I got favor on the price. I got $10,000 off my bill today.

Speaker 1:

Negotiations today. Really Okay, we talked about negotiations, negotiations today, wow.

Speaker 2:

And when I tell you that when I got in there, then I'm going to be frank with you. I spent like about $30,000 getting in there with everything, getting everything fixed up. But I'm going gonna tell you something god, my bank account got down to two thousand dollars and I just remember I went live on facebook and I told everybody like, hey, y'all, I'm in business, not a business open. I know you need your taxes done. I know you need your credit done. When I tell you people start tagging me, tagging me in post sharing my post, when I tell you, remember, I told you I spent thirty30,000.

Speaker 2:

The first month, I made 30,000. The next month, I made 25,000. Oh, my god, all my money. There's some back within 60 days and I need. That is not good. I don't know what it and I knew. Then I was where I was supposed to be doing what I was supposed to be doing my salary for 2019, I made that in one room. Wow. So I've never hit six figures until I started working for myself. I made six figures my first year of business and I cried it's nothing to somebody else, but it was everything for me, because I applied employment for myself. I stepped out on faith. I took the lead even in the chaos. Of my whole world was crashing down.

Speaker 2:

I'm about to cry no, no, me too I'm like, oh my god, I just trusted god and I'll just be like telling people now, like when one door closes and you feel like your whole life is just upside down, just know that God is bringing something out for you, ready to go with it. You just have to believe. It just looks ugly. You don't know what the hell is going on because, like you say, you feel like you're walking around in the dark and it's like God, where are you?

Speaker 1:

Yes, you're like help me, help me, please. Yeah, but he's already got us the whole time.

Speaker 2:

But it's just a trust trust the process and you got to keep bothering me because, like they say, it ain't gonna rain for us. We're just still. We're trying to get you just have to believe and just trust in god and have faith and just know god will never hurt you wow.

Speaker 1:

So I have to ask you because some people might be like and I think, okay, will never hurt you, wow, so I have to ask you, because some people might be like and I think, okay, how do you hear God?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I just get lessness. I mean I could just be doing any little thing and sometimes I hear his voice. It could be, sometimes it could be faint. I mean like I should not be doing X, y, z. He'll just see me like a sign Every.

Speaker 1:

he'll just see me like a sign every time that like people are going to my cousin and be like will you really hear his voice? Yes, yeah, I mean, you've seen the evidence, so you know it was god talking to you, yeah, and I said that's the thing.

Speaker 2:

A lot of people you hear him, but you you're being disobedient, yeah, and the thing is I've learned when, like I said, when I went through everything I went through, people told me, like when I went through everything I went through, people told me, like when I went through divorce, you're going to go, you're going to have sex with a lot of men, you're going to be an alcoholic. I did not know things. I ran straight to God. I needed him, I craved him, because the crazy part is, I had told my ex-husband previously, a year and a half before.

Speaker 2:

I said I want to be able to submit all the way fully to God. I don't know how. I felt like he was calling, but I didn't know what to do, how to surrender. And one thing about God is God's not going to chase you. He's going to create some type of circumstance where you're going to come to him, you're going to submit to him. And this is why I tell a lot of people is stop putting your hands on things. You got to give God the currency, give him the key, take the wheel, take the wheel. I said when you keep messing in here.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's like you want to trust him to do it, but then you're taking it back. Yeah, yeah, you can't. You got to. You got to let it go or take it over, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

So it's like do you trust me or you don't? And he's going to be like I ain't Until you're ready. Yeah, he ain't going to force you, that's right. You know what I'm saying. He's not going to force himself on me because that's why, like a lot of people say, like you talk about God a lot, I said if you heal my heart, I swear I'm gonna tell everybody about you. And this is why I always, like I tell people ask me anything you want, it's nothing. I don't have nothing to hide because I feel, like the things that I went through, it can be another woman, one of the same things, and she want to know that it is like at the end of the tunnel, right, that I can't rise again, I can't bounce back. I mean because you needed that too.

Speaker 1:

You needed someone to show you that this is to be okay Absolutely, Because crying every day for six months feels like the pain is just so much.

Speaker 2:

I was literally waking up every day like my body was literally in pain. That hurt worse than my childbirth and childbirth hurts it doesn't do, because when you push the baby the pain stops. But no, I woke up every single day in pain. I was so severely depressed that I wanted to take my own life because I just wanted the pain and stuff. And I just I just like I'd be saying like telling people, like cool through, because you'll be having that monkey on your shoulder, like just do it. And now like I, I understand. I never understood why people say they commit suicide. And so I went through what I went through, and now I have a heart and now I know why people do the things Because they want the pain, superstar.

Speaker 1:

Wow, yeah, I haven't heard that a lot too, but okay, so then you were going through all of this and then the table started to turn Make $30,000 in the first month, then $25, started to turn make 30 000 in the first month, then 25, and then you know and I know you have a billboard too you, you know, like you, you're every well, by the way, if you don't know, jennifer will like let me tell you we're gonna get to that book, but this woman is such a phenomenal woman she's not even blowing her own horns here like she's doing incredible job, and I love the fact that you're also thinking about helping people, helping kids, helping women with your life, you know. So, yeah, tell us a little bit about how they made the trajectory kept going, yeah, and then.

Speaker 2:

So I started my non-profit organization mentoring youth girls ages 9 through 17. I actually started that in 2020, okay, so I started that and it's like the pandemic was when everything was just happening.

Speaker 1:

it was the first it, it was the burst.

Speaker 2:

That's why I say millionaires is building a down season. Some people didn't take advantage of it and some people did and I just like I felt like the time that we in it was playing on people's minds, especially kids. They at home, trying to screen, they can't do nothing. So a lot of people was having like issues with their kids and things like that and for like I want to say about five, six years previous, I kept saying for years I wanted to do a non-profit organization. That was like something with girls. It was one day I saw the video on Facebook. It was these girls. They was 13 years old, they mothers was videoing it and the guys was 24 and they was twerking on it and their mothers was cheering them on and I said mentorship, Time to get our little girls together, teach them some things, pour into them. And when I tell you it was, I didn't know I was going to be here five years later.

Speaker 2:

I've had girls probably over 100 girls who came through my organization. I've had regular girls, foster care, all different type of girls. I had one of my little girls who just reached out to me. She was in foster care and she moved to another home. She found me on Google. She Googled and emailed the business. She was like oh, this is Aaliyah. Do you remember, girl? I remember all my kids. And do you remember, girl? I remember all my kids. And it made me feel good that she reached out because she said I miss you, miss jennifer, she missed our talks and it's like with the girls. I have them every saturday from 12 to 3.

Speaker 2:

I started in the library because then the library closed down because it was the pandemic. And guess what? My mother let me host the girls in her basement and I tell people all the time I said the basement had cobwebs in it. But when I think about them, babies, they came, yeah, they came every saturday. Kudos to their moms too for bringing that. I was gonna say that I appreciate those women, because this was just a thought and I know this was came from god. Help our girls, yeah. Help my children, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And when I tell you, like, the girls who started with me are now graduating, they're going to college, and I cried the other day because those was my babies, because they started with me and they believed in the mission, the vision and everything that I was trying to do, and one of them actually worked for me now, yeah. And then my other one, that's my baby, baby, and I just thought I said, well, you graduate college, I'm doing something with you. I don't know, but God told me like you gonna work with these little girls somehow someway in business one of my little girls, actually. One day she's like but Jennifer, when you get rich I'm gonna be able to have your personal number. Oh, hey, you know I'm gonna be rich. Yes, I said would you to have your personal number? I said, well, hey, you know I'm going to be rich. Yes, I said well, you're going to have my personal number, you ain't going to have to go through all my sisters.

Speaker 1:

That's right, they crack them laughing.

Speaker 2:

But I just I love them because kids are just so impressionable yeah, they're beautiful, they're kind, the amazing that have came in the organization just to hear their stories. I've traveled with girls. I had a girl who was 15 and was sex trafficking and I mean I've had when I tell you the place, mother's station all different types of orals. A girl's, girl's, it's just. They are trusting me and I've had some people who took their children out of the organization because they felt like their daughters were too close.

Speaker 1:

They were telling me more than they were selling out because they're saying something to an adult, because they have someone they can open up to.

Speaker 2:

I thought honestly, I wish I had me when I was growing up, because, at the end of the day is we don't feel comfortable talking to our parents without things and it's like to have a jennifer back then. That would have made my life so much easy, so much better. I mean as a little girl, a teenage girl. Many times I cried myself to sleep, wondering why this person don't love me, why this person rejected me. If I would have had the same person right me to quarantine me, telling me I'm worth, I'm beautiful, I am enough. Oh my God, you see what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:

Wow. So I know that's probably. I know financial is. You know all things. Tasks, it's a task. Tax, taxes, yeah. But I'm trying to live this up into your book because it kind of ties in together right now. You know your passion for helping children. It's not just foreign into them, but also giving them the tools, like a financial to to help them. Just, you know we talked a little bit about this before like our schools are not setting them up to know how to do basic finance. Yeah, you know. And so not only are you pouring into them, you're also giving them a tool for them to be successful in lab.

Speaker 2:

So tell us, a little bit about this. So the money tree um, that's my children's book by ages 6 through 12. That was actually something that I had wanted to do a year ago because I felt like it was needed for our youth, especially like you're never too young to learn about financial literacy. I feel like the early the better, because when these kids get out of school, they graduate, they don't know what credit is. They sit here getting all these credit cards, don't know about credit utilization, that if you spend over 30% that's gonna lower your credit score, things like that late payments if you make one late payments that the drop the score for the present. They don't know these type of things like this.

Speaker 1:

So after let's get them started early before the door, sometimes only will lose some evidence, do you not?

Speaker 2:

understand that some of the adults have kept my book for themselves, wow, and they asked me to make an adult version and I said I do have a dope version. It's the my very first book, the credit man, so that came out actually four years ago.

Speaker 1:

By the way, we're gonna put all of that in the description so you could go get a copy for yourself.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, boom, so um that book. It teaches the kids about money. I even haven't know how to write a check about goals.

Speaker 1:

You know it's funny. I'm sorry to cut you off, but it's so funny because things like that, that seems so mundane. Yeah, we don't even think to teach kids. That's why I really like the book. You know, it's like writing a check. Yeah, people might argue that, well, we're not going to be, but the mere fact that you're writing a check, I think it does something to your psyche absolutely. It's like do I have the money? Yeah, you know, because it's easy to swipe a card whether you have money or not. But when you're writing a check, you're intentionally, you know. So I mean, those are really good, amazing skills that you're teaching, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And I teach them about saving their money. Like I tell my youth girls all right, you working, so we make you take your check, we put some in savings. Yeah, I say because life happens. So I wanted my little girl. She was 16 and she saved a thousand dollars. That's huge. That's huge for a 16 year old. She was so exciting that she saved it and she said, miss jennifer, I listened to everything you told me to do. I said, like some people, listen to me, yeah, actually take my advice. And it's like I'm not gonna tell you anything wrong. I'm trying to set you up and prepare you. So that's the thing is, I want to set the kids up and prepare them.

Speaker 2:

Um, I've even been asked to like talk to like different colleges about entrepreneurship, which, I'm not gonna lie to you, I was a bit, a little bit intimidated at first because you know I have no degrees or nothing. This is just simple life things that I researched, I learned on my own when nobody teach me how to do certain things. So it's like when I went and talked to Ivy Tech at East Chicago, I got so many emails from the students and even a teacher that said all the different speakers that came, you was the best one this season and I was like really wow, and I just like I'm like the lady was saying today, like how she's just organic. I don't like to write down stuff, I like to just talk from my head, my heart, because I know my journey. I don't need to have to write it down because I just feel like it comes out so much more genuine, yeah, when you just talking from experience or everything you went through, versus, let me look at this.

Speaker 2:

That's why we tell people I don't want to know the answers or questions to an interview. Ask me what I want. I'm an open book. I don't have nothing to hide because my life is my life, my journey is my journey and I hope and pray that it can help somebody, empower somebody and say this is my life right now. But look at where she went, how she bounced back. Yeah, I know I could do it right. It's just simple, as trouble don't last forever. That's the only message that I want to get across to people and once you're up, reach your hand back to help another person.

Speaker 1:

I love that. Yeah, because some people forget. Yeah, they forget to look back and lift up others and that's the thing that god will humble you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and the thing is, I don't want to be humble, I just know where I came from and it's like I love giving back. I do the back to school giveaways, I do turkey giveaways and I do the toy giveaway every year. I do these events because I was a mother that one day I couldn't buy my son school clothes. That was hard. I was depressed. I remember that, like it was yesterday, it was 2013. I remember I couldn't even afford to buy my baby no school supplies. I remember I didn't have money to buy no groceries. I remember one year, when he was like one years old, I didn't have money to even buy toys. He didn't even know, but people kept saying they didn't have money to even buy toys. He didn't even know, but people kept saying they didn't know it. My friend told me look, you got school books. Go sell those to the college. I sold my school books to Purdue College to buy my baby some Christmas gifts and I told myself back then one day I'm going to be on my feet and I'm going to give back to other struggle members. Like when women call me, they go what do I need to show to um, get a gift, just bring your kid. I don't care about where you live. If you need help, come get it. I've been my first event. I was giving out six and seven presents to a kid because we had so many donations. I'm not like that. I love to give. Like I'm sitting there smiling and happy and that's why I tell the girls god love, but you're forgiven, yes, oh yeah. If you don't want to be a servant to the community, you got a frown on your face. Do not come and be a part of this event because, guess what? You don't understand how these people feel that they got to come, stand in this line and get these gifts. How they already feel on the inside, that's right. So I want people to feel welcome With any event I have.

Speaker 2:

I had a lady who put like a long, drawn out text Facebook message and said that I love what that woman doing. I had gave her the rest of the gifts. I had people take stuff out because she said she lived in the projects and there was a family next door who didn't have any lights and it was a struggling father who had four kids and she asked me can I take a gift with them, with for them, and I said are you sure you're gonna give the gift? She said I promise you. I said take all this stuff. She looked at me. She said wait what? Take it off. I want to make sure they have a good person. They studied in the projects. I just went on for her work and that was it. The rest was just this.

Speaker 2:

So it's like the thing is like I look forward to those giveaways because I just remember when that was me. That's why I do the things I do. My mother said one day like my daughter, give you the shirt off her back. Oh, that way she get them raw. But I just love it. But I just love it. I just love it warms my heart and I just understand people. I don't want people to feel embarrassed because, at the end of the day, this is where you at right now.

Speaker 2:

Right, life changes because, remember 2013, I was here. I've been evicted before. Right, I've I've had a car repossessed before. I've had bad credit before I had've had a car repossessed before. I've had bad credit before. I had a way. I couldn't pay my bills before, didn't have no food on the table. I went to sleep hungry, but I made sure my son ate. I've been you, so who am I to sit here and turn my nose? You know what I'm saying. But that's what I'm saying is life can change. You can be down one day and God lift that switch. I grew up tomorrow. That's right. So just keep pushing through, keep the faith, keep praying and trusting and believing in God. That's amazing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so you do taxes. You also have a trucking business Transportation, transportation.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, nine emergency services where we pick people up and say consider a doctor's appointment that's amazing.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I know there are people over there thinking how can I reach just jennifer, how can I like? First of all, you can help them file their tax, absolutely. You know you do also credit and repair, and then the transportation. Do you want to tell us a little bit about that, where we can find you? You know and I'm going to put all of this in the link too but I want them to be able to use your services, you know, because I see that you're not just for you, so the money is the helping people. I'll be so passionate about that.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, so you can reach me at my office all-in-one tax services. I am located at 6340 Kennedy Avenue, hammond, indiana, and I do all 50 states for tax preparation services. No worries, my contact number is 219-206 2415 and my website is allall the letter N, number 1 taxjwcom. And you can reach me at jwilliams. The x sign all in one text jwcom.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I'll make sure all of that information is in the link. You already know how that goes. Please make sure you go in and check that out. Also, your nonprofit organizations where would you find that information?

Speaker 2:

Organize the organization to 1-995-1-1025, and it's ZetaZetacotaNicolGirls, and you can see us look us up on our website, wwwdezadanicolegirlsorg.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, because if you're interested in being a part of this, either as one of the girls, or if you want to support or you want to help volunteer, I'm sure that you can use help Plus also whenever we put this out there, if you have questions about taxes like this one is so knowledgeable, she's so open to helping people. Do not be afraid to just, which is sometimes also or even credit repair, and that's what a big one tip. A lot of people are ashamed to have that conversation because they're like you know, I know it happens.

Speaker 2:

We all fall short sometimes. But that's okay. This you you can repair your credit. I did myself when I bought my house 11 years ago. I purchased my home with a 530 credit score. That was in 2014. So I pulled myself out of a 530 to an 850 credit score. So it can't be done. It is possible.

Speaker 1:

So please make sure you reach out and this has been a wonderful conversation. Thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me. I appreciate you. This week has been amazing. You know we're running up our program with the 10k sb. It's been very impactful for me in so many ways, but I think also the the uh, particularly for the relationships that I'm building with key. Absolutely, we're keeping that.

Speaker 2:

That's right. God, thank you for having me. I appreciate it. No, you're fine. This was a lot of fun. It was very just then. You almost made me cry A couple of times.

Speaker 1:

I feel like I said Well, until next time, keep it locked in here, Take care.

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Victoria Odekomaya

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