Building a Credit Repair Business with Tech and Tenacity | Bianca Garrett

Hey, credit heroes. Credit repair is about so much more than just disputing negative items. It's about changing lives and gaining financial freedom. And today I'm talking with Bianca Garrett. She's the founder and CEO of Blueprint Solutions. Bianca went from very humble beginnings to becoming a well respected expert in the credit repair industry. She's built a very successful business, and today she's going to tell us exactly how she did it. So you better stick around. My name is Daniel Rosen, and welcome to Credit Repair Business Secrets. Our most successful credit heroes, the ones who make a great living and make a massive impact. They really care about helping people and changing lives. My guest today is Bianca Garrett, and she's going to share her amazing path to success in credit repair. So please welcome to the podcast Bianca Garrett. Hey, Bianca.

Hi. How are you?

I'm doing awesome. How about you?

I'm doing amazing.

Well, welcome to the podcast. I'm so excited you're here and I want to know everything. Let's start with where are you right now?

I'm in Chicago, Illinois. Downtown Chicago.

So where'd you grow up? Did you grow up in Chicago?

Yes, I grew up in Chicago, Illinois. So I've been here all my life. Wow.

Well, what was your life like before credit repair?

Mm. So I was in tech, actually. So I was an integration analyst for a major tech company. Yeah. And it was pretty amazing. I've been doing that all my Life for about 10 years. And then I got into credit repair, and it's completely changed my life.

Yes, but you're very techy. I can tell by your sight.

Yes.

You've got AI going and robots and all kinds of stuff. But I want to know what got you into credit repair. Am I right? That this started with a bank error?

Exactly. So I had an auto loan. Okay. That I completely thought I paid off. Right. And which I did. However, the bank was like, you know, you owe $10,000 still. And they were like, dinging my credit for, like, four months straight. And I'm like, no, I don't. I went back and forth with them, and they ended up admitting to fault but would not remove it off of my credit. You know, I had pretty good credit at the time, and that completely changed my life. You know, I went from like the 700s to, like the 500s, like mid-500s. And at that point, I grew a passion for it because I'm like, this is not right. Right. So I just kept having at it. I did a lot of research, you know, and I just repaired my credit from that point forward. And I've been helping people since I can see.

And it's fascinating because that's exactly how I got into this. It was a bank error for me, too.

Wow. Yeah.

But I was battling it for, like, a year. It was just horrible.

It was horrible.

In my case, they fixed the error, but they couldn't fix the domino effect on all of my other accounts that had all shot up in. My bills just doubled overnight. It was crazy. I almost went bankrupt from it. But how did you start to learn credit repair?

So I took a class. I think this was back in 2019. I took a class. Class. And, you know, it intrigued me. You know, it was so many people in this class that had so many different issues once, you know, the young lady who was teaching us, she taught us. And I was like, you know what? I'm gonna send out these letters myself. I'm gonna try to repair my credit. I battled it for, like, a year. And then after that, like, my friends, my family, they were just like, hey, can you do the same thing on mine? And I'm like, sure. I was, like, doing it for free. And, you know, I was excited to, like, educate them. And then, you know, my mentor was like, you need to start your credit repair business. So. Yes.

Wow. Had you ever run your own business before?

No.

Wow, that's amazing. So how did you start to turn it into a business?

So I had just purchased my home, and I was, like, laying in bed, and my mentor was like. He called me at, like, 10 o' clock at night. He was like, get up. And I'm like, it's 10 o' clock at night. He's like, you're about to start your credit repair business, like, right now. And I had got my laptop, and he was like, hey, here's Credit Repair Cloud. Sign up here. It's free for 30 days. You can try it out. And I was like. He was like, hey, you get a T shirt. I'm like, that's what got me. I was like, I get a T shirt. You know, ever since then, I did my soft launch, and it was. It went so amazing. There was like an outpour. Everyone was like, you know what? I've been looking for someone. I've been looking for someone. And the very first month I opened my business, I generated $10,000. The very first month.

That's amazing.

Yes.

How did you get your first clients?

It was more so, like. So first off, I definitely took the challenge, the credit hero challenge. Right. And then I just started to promote, like, oh, I Had just bought a house, I just bought a car. So I was taking pictures in front of those.

Yeah.

And I was just like, you know, this is what I did to get my credit. I got my credit to at 8:15.

That's really, really cool. And then it just grew from there.

It completely just faster than I could have even imagined, honestly. So I quit my job. I ended up quitting my job. I want to say about four months in, five months in, I was, I couldn't juggle the clients. And having a 9 to 5, it was hard. Like, it was really, really hard. And a tough decision because I was scared like any other entrepreneur, Right. I'm like, is this something that I'm really gonna do? Is this something I'm completely committed to? And I knew I was because I have clients that's depending on me. So I ended up quitting my job. And that's been literally the best day ever.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

That $10,000 first month. So that was while it was just a side hustle.

Exactly. Why was Jessica. I was still a dabbler a little bit. And then I was going over, you know, going over to the next phase.

You went from dabbler to doer. Amazing. So because you're a techie, I want to know what role has technology like credit repair, cloud software or anything else, what has it played in your credit repair journey and how has it impacted your business?

So with tech, everything is automated. It makes everything seamless. Right. So old school version of credit repair was to generate letters, Right. You had to type them up yourself, you know, you'll send, you'll have to go to the post office, you have to wait and things like that. With technology, with credit repair, cloud, everything was automated. Like all of the letters, were there any letters that I wanted to add? I just added it there. You just literally select which letter, what you want to do, and it completely generated it. On top of that, you know, you have cloud service. So instead of going to the post office now and spending hundreds of dollars a month on postage, paper, ink, you know, now we just send it through the cloud and it's like. So the technology has impacted my business significantly because it makes everything quicker, seamless, you know, it's phenomenal.

That is so cool. And I saw in some of your posts you're using Credit Hero Score.

Absolutely, absolutely. It's once again, it's. The clients have a seamless experience. Right. They don't have to log into other credit monitoring softwares. That's separate. It's all in one. So when they log in, you know, they can go straight to credit hero score. And so that has also built confidence with my clients to say, you know what? Like, I can see not only everything that's in dispute, I can go right to my credit report. So, yeah, it's been phenomenal with that.

Amazing. And I'm curious, how many clients do you have today?

We currently have 600 clients.

Wow, that's awesome.

Yes.

Are you handling all of them yourself or do you have a team now?

I have an entire team, so I have a team of five. Six. Six now. Six now. So I have a team of virtual assistants. They have been phenomenal. They handle all of the back end paperwork. And then I have my sales team as well.

Amazing. Was it? Tell me about hiring your first employee. Was that scary?

Very. It was very scary. Because I think with entrepreneurship, the biggest issue is relinquishing control and delegating. Right. Because you're like, nobody is going to do it like me. This has been my baby. And, you know, you're trusting someone else with your clients, with their information. So it was really tough. So I started doing a lot of research on contracts and just making sure everything was in place. And, you know, when I first hired them, I was on an interview and they were amazing and their background was amazing too. So I was like, you know what? Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and bring you on. I had interviewed like maybe like six people. It was super stressful. And they. She's. She's with me to this day, so she's been phenomenal too.

What's your advice for people who are listening and watching? What's your advice for growing and scaling a team?

Hire the right people. 1. Meaning hire like minded individuals. Everyone can be taught. When you do hire those individuals, make sure that you learn how they learn. Right. You have tactile learners, you have visual learners, you have audio learners. So you have to learn how they learn and tailor whatever you're teaching them to the way that they learn. Right. Patience is key because not everyone is going to do things the way that you do them because they have their way and it may be better. Listen to your team. Okay? I cannot stress that enough. My team has helped me scale my business so much just from me listening. We have team calls twice a week where they can give their thoughts and their ideas when we implement something new. So for example, they're the ones actually who were like, hey, when we're bringing on clients who are building their credit because we have packages for that. So hey, let's do calls every month, right? Where we have a major call, where everyone hops on the call. So I would say listening to your team is going to be extremely important. Like you said, you're, you know, you hired someone who was better than you at something, and it takes a joint effort and, like. And also having those systems in place, it's so many different things I could say about having programs and just different softwares in place. We utilize Monday.com to track client retention. So having that in place was able to kind of give us a overview of all of the clients who have graduated clients, what rounds they were on. So when a client calls, we immediately go to Monday and say, hey, boom, boom, boom, you're here. And all of that information is there. And it syncs with credit repair cloud. So it was just having that automation is going to be extremely impactful in your business. And me coming from tech, from that integration, that was like, literally everything for me.

So, yes, that is so cool. And along the way, what were the biggest obstacles you faced when starting this business, and how did you overcome them?

Yes. So I would say the biggest obstacle would be learning how to manage your time. Right. And to this day, I'm still trying to manage my time. But one thing that I learned is that because you know that you think when you quit your job, you're going to have more free time, that that's not the case. That can be further from the truth. So, you know, I just started to do time blocks. So in the morning, you know, check emails, just doing time blocks for myself to help me manage my time better and. And also delegating, right, saying, hey, okay, Bianca, it's okay to. To let someone else handle this. It's okay. And trust that they're going to do it. Of course I'm behind them, like, looking like, okay, did they just secretly like, okay, all right, that's done, you know, and just trusting my team. But I would say that was my biggest obstacle on top of that, just making sure that my clients had that seamless experience. So when Credit Hero Score came out and all, that made a world of a difference because everyone was like, well, where do I go to log in to see my credit report? And it was just really challenging. Right. And that eliminated a lot of questions, you know, So I would say those two things were my biggest challenges and how I overcame them.

Very, very, very smart. Do you think there's a stigma about credit repair, whether it be someone needing it or in providing it? Is there a stigma?

There definitely is. A lot of individuals Feel like it's not possible. I feel like there has been a. A bad reputation behind credit repair over the years that has transpired from not so good people. Right. So that stigma behind it that we all know, you know, it's. It's very tough to overcome. Having the systems in place, having a portal for them to actually physically see, was extremely important. Right. Building up that reputation with them, that rapport with them, that was very important. Giving them access to you, responding effectively. I would say that is the. The. The biggest stigma and how I actually ended up overcoming it, because, like I said, it's just, you know, over the years, unfortunately, you know, there has been times where, you know, people feel like, oh, this is impossible. They don't. You can remove repossessions.

Absolutely. And most people don't understand. It takes pressure and persistence.

Yep. Consistency, that is key. You know, it's. Sometimes I've gotten things removed in seven days. I've gotten things removed in 30 days or an entire year. It takes consistency, and it takes strategy. So that's one of the things I think, too, when you're talking to your clients, you have to set expectations. You say, hey, there's no set time for this. Right. It can be removed in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, or even a year. Right. Give us time. Just know that we're working on it. As long as we are working as a collective, it'll work out.

And I love your motto. Credit repair is a right, not a rumor. What's the story behind that?

These are laws that are set in place for you, okay? To protect you. You're protected by these laws. It's not a rumor. That means that, you know, no one is. This isn't just something that someone came up with one day, and, you know, you know, it just became that rumor. So you have rights, and you have to know how to use them effectively. You have to know how. Who to reach out to. You have to have the strategy, the team. It's a right that you own. And I tell my clients all the time, I'm like, never be afraid to challenge these big banks, okay? They've been getting away with a lot of things for a really long time. And it's your right to have an accurate credit report. So that's something that I always tell my clients.

I love it. And speaking of your clients, can you share one of your most impactful success stories of a client whose life was changed by your services?

Oh, absolutely. This is the best part. I have a client who came to me last year in July So it's almost a year. Okay. And she had 110 negative items. Wow. Two bankruptcies and 40 increase. Right. She had been to two other credit repair people who completely denied her. They were like, look, we're going to be honest. This. We don't know if this is even repairable. So when she scheduled the consultation with me, she's like, this has been such a burden on me. I've been looking for someone for the last two years. No one will take me on. And I took that as a challenge. I was like, you know what? I'm like, that was the max I've ever seen. Right? And I'm like, I was so scared because I'm like, can I help her? Can I help her? And I'm like, you know what? No. I'm gonna have to trust myself, my team. We can do this. She went from 110 negative items. She's now down to eight.

That's amazing.

Yes. So that has been extremely impactful on her life because she's been able to start her business, she's been able to get funding, she's been able to purchase a home and a vehicle with just within this year. So she's always like, calling me, like, look what I did today. Look, I did this. She's like, thank you, thank you, thank you. No, she's very. She's an amazing client. She's been patient. You know, she sends us the letters. You know, that's one of the challenges that we have, people sending us letters, you know, but for us to do that in a year with 110 negative items, I was, you know, I'm super proud of my team for that. I'm super proud of them.

That's amazing. How important is financial wellness?

I think a lot of us were taught that cash is king, right? And it is to a certain extent. But if you play chess, this is chess, not checkers. So credit is queen, and we know that's the most important piece, right? So it is very important in your life because every single thing that you do in your life is going to require your credit. Even when you're going into business, they're going to check your credit when you want to purchase a home, even if you have the cash, sometimes they still want to check your credit. So this can literally change someone's life, right? And it'll take them from renting, paying insane amounts for rent, to owning a property, you know, where they can generate income. So that is significantly impactful. And I tell people all the time, just use your credit. Build it up, you know, in that way, you know, you can get another property or another home, you know, so it's very, very important.

Sure. Credit gives you leverage, leverage and complete leverage.

And I cannot express how it has given me leverage in itself. So. Yes.

That's so cool. Now a moment ago you talked about mentorship programs. Are you mentoring people to start their own credit repair business?

Absolutely, yes, I am.

Oh, that's so cool. Tell me about that.

Yes. So right now we are building out a platform where our clients can, our mentees will then be able to log in and look at pre recorded kind of videos with us where we're going to go over the credit repair process from literally start to finish. So not just credit repair, but also starting their business from point A to Z. So a lot of individuals surprisingly don't know about surety bonds, like a lot don't. So that is something that I wanted to talk about a lot in my mentorship as well. So we talk about that, we talk about, you know, tsr, we talk about different things that really matter that can make a difference in your business. Right. In addition to that, it reduces skepticism as well. So I tell people, you know, that I'm mentoring all the time, like, hey, you need your license, you need your surety bond. You have to look at your state to see if that actually, you know, is required. And if you're going to go to another state to do or if you're going to have a client in another state, you need to look at those laws there as well. So making sure that my clients are or my mentees are well informed is very important to me. Letting them know everything. Having my mentees understand the proper structure of a credit report is very important. Just like credit repair, because that's just the first step.

So yes, very, very cool. How has the credit repair industry changed or evolved since you started your business?

TikTok, Instagram. That's the first two. I'll say. There's a lot of information on, you know, these platforms. Right. Some correct information, some not. Right. So I would say back then we didn't really have that. We didn't have TikTok and Instagram to base it off of. So a lot of individuals who have started their businesses back then, I would say it was probably they had it easier. Right. So because it wasn't that much information out there about it. However, now it's tough because we're battling people that's trying to do it on their own, which is fine, that's great. But you can also do the opposite when you're trying to do it yourself. Right. So that proper education is absolutely key. So I would say that's something that's been, that has changed. I would say the laws constantly change as well. You have to stay up to date all the time on what's going. I have notifications for it at this point. Like anything that's actually like changing in the finance world, we need to know about it.

Absolutely. With so many clients, what's your secret to keeping them engaged and committed throughout the credit repair process?

Constant updates and communication. So in credit repair cloud, obviously when you get an update, we send them in the portal because I'm all about security, of course. So in the secure client portal, we'll send them their update. Everything that has been deleted, the amount that has been deleted, along with what their credit scores are now sending them an audit report, an updated auto report every month, that's automatic. You know, you just press the email to client button and there it is, you know, so I would say constant communication clients just simply what? That's one thing that I noticed about my clients is that their issues was that, you know, they didn't have communication with other credit repair companies. So I'm huge on communication, social media, always passing out information about quick tips and to boost their credit scores, things like that keeps them engaged and it keeps them, I would say, trusting of you. Trust is the biggest part. Reducing skepticism is key. So making sure that, you know, you stay in constant communication with them is key to reduce that. That's another thing. I wanted to talk about the direct correlation between mental health and your finances. It is a direct correlation to that. So one thing that I do with my clients when we're on the phone, I ask them because how many times I ask you, how are you today? And I'm really asking that because a lot of individuals that have financial issues, something happened before there could have been a divorce, a death in the family, you know, something that could have happened that we need to talk about because if that's not resolved once your credit is repaired, you're going to go back to doing the same thing. So mental health is a direct correlation. And I actually was thinking about implement hiring a therapist that, you know, my clients would have full access to because I've learned over time that mental health has a direct impact on your financial health.

Sure. That's very, very smart.

Yes.

Yeah, I like that idea. I've never heard of somebody integrating a therapist into their credit repair business, but it makes a lot of sense. Financial stuff causes A lot of stress.

It does. It does a lot. I've heard some really heartbreaking stories. I would say being a credit repair specialist, it's. Yes, it's fun. Right. But the other side to it is that you are literally becoming like family to these clients. And so you have to make sure that you're supporting them not just financially, but mentally as well. If you're not right, mentally, you know, your. Your finances are going to take a dip again, you know, and while I love my clients and I don't mind them coming back, we're still. And I tell them all the time, I'm like, if you got to come back, you know, we're going to have a conversation. Right. I got to see why you came back, you know, and we have to address that first before we can even do anything.

I love it. And speaking of social media, let's talk about social media and marketing, and I want to know what's working today. Yeah, yeah, I know you.

Yes.

You've got a lot of followers on Facebook and Instagram. How has social media helped you to grow your business?

So I. I like organic marketing. Okay. I've tried cold market with ads. You know, I'm not saying that that's not successful, but you had to weed through it a lot. Right. With organic marketing, you're building a relationship with clients, and you're not even knowing it. So by the time they get to you, they're ready. So they're warm clients at this point. Right. So at that point, I would say my social media, having so many followers now, you know, a lot of individuals will engage with my posts. I respond to them. That's very important as well. When they comment, you have to respond. You have to engage in that conversation. I've helped so many individuals that weren't even my clients. Right. If they have questions, they can inbox me. I say, hey, try this instead or do this instead. That way, just passing out that free information, you know, that once again, it's a right for them to know it. So passing out that free information and educating them is key. And by the time they come, they'll try it on their own first, which is okay. And then they'll say, you know what, Bianca, I tried this. Can you help me out? And I'll be there to help them.

Wow. Yeah, I saw you had a lot of followers on Instagram especially. I think that was the biggest one. But I saw you also post a lot about your life, not just about credit.

Yes. So that's very important with organic marketing, because A lot of individuals want to see who you are. You have to talk about who you are. You have to show that you're a real person. You know, a lot of individuals love authenticity. Okay? So being authentic, your authentic self, not pretending to be anybody else, post your life, post what you're doing, post what you're up to. I put. I have a son. I post him, you know, like I. I post us going out. I post him talking about credit, actually. You know, so that, I will say, kind of builds up that reputation with your clients, and it makes them feel like they are a part of something with you. It's all a story, right? Where you're showing your life, you're showing your story, where you came from and kind of where you are today.

Absolutely. How important are client referrals and testimonials for your business?

When you have referrals, by the time they come to you, they're just like, hey, I'm ready to start. Referrals, I would say, are the most important types of referrals, not just from your current clients, but also establishing relationships with different lenders. So we are actually partners with a lender, a mortgage lender as well. I would say about three different dealerships as well. So we've built relationships with them to where now they just send their clients to us. So they're already trusting us by the time that they get to us. So once again, and I'll say this again, reducing skepticism is the biggest aspect when it comes to credit repair.

How did you build those relationships with the affiliates?

Well, I walked into the dealerships, I was just like. So I was purchasing a car. One of the dealerships, I was purchasing a car, and I said, you know what? I was like, hey, you know, here's my business card. You know, I know you guys get. Because I had just heard someone get denied for a vehicle, and I initially passed my car to that individual, and I went to the salesperson and the finance director, and I said, look, this is what I do. This is my website. I had them pull it up. They love the website, right? Because that's the first impression, right? And so they were like, wow, okay, we get X amount of clients per month who get denied. We'll pass your information. So that's how I built the relationship with the dealerships is sometimes I'll just. One day I'm passing a dealership, and I'll just stop in and just say, hey, this is what I do. I show my portfolio and they're like, you know what? Okay. And they take My information, they send clients over. As far as the mortgage lender, it was someone I knew from high school, and she was. She was a. She's a mortgage lender. And she said, you know, how about I send clients? And it started with one client, and I did so good on her. She just started flooding me. And so now we actually are partners with their southern district. So now, you know, we kind of handle everybody from there, too.

That's so awesome.

Yes.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone who's starting their own credit repair business?

Just start. Just start. I think, like, we think that we have to know everything before we start, you know, And I get it, because I did, too. Right. But if you just start, you will learn as you go. That is the biggest thing. If you just start, you'll get to learn the business. In addition, trust yourself. If you don't trust anyone else, you have to trust yourself. Trust and believe that you can become successful. You have to change your mindset. Change your mindset. The moment that you direct that new energy right into being successful, you will become successful. You just have to believe it.

I love it. I love it. Hey, let's talk credit repair for a minute. Of all the credit repair strategies that you've learned, what's one that's been a real game changer?

Consumer law.

Oh, tell me about that.

I like consumer law. So these are laws set in place that are your rights to have. Okay, so, for example, 15 USC, I would say 15 USC 1666 B. The timing of payments. All right. Or even the method of verification. Right. When you're using those, those are so strong. Because once again, it's the loss law. Okay. So when I'm generating my letters or creating my letters out, you know, we end up adding that to our letters as well. Right. Letting. Because sometimes the bureaus don't know either. You know, you have to think these are people too. Right. So they may not have that education on what those laws are. Right. So we provide it for them. So we're teaching them, too. I can't tell you how many times I've called the credit bureaus and I've had a conversation with the customer service rep about consumer law, and they were like, I didn't know that. I have them look it up and everything, you know, while I'm on the phone. So I would say that's been significantly impactful for my clients. We use that all the time. I would say we use every single type of dispute method, whatever is tailored to that person's. Specific needs. So if they had identity theft, of course, that's that FTC report. Right. We will use Metro 2 as well. So it just depends on the situation, but I would say primarily we use consumer law.

Very, very cool. Okay, I want to switch gears right now and ask you a few rapid questions. So answer with the first thing that pops into your head. Okay?

All right.

Okay. What's your business? Superpower.

Automation.

What's your business? Kryptonite. The area that you had to work the hardest to improve.

Marketing.

What does business ownership mean to you?

Oh, that's a good one. Freedom.

What drives and motivates you?

My son. And helping people. I know this too, but yeah, awesome.

What's your definition of success?

My definition of success? Being financially free, where you can actually have the time for your family. That's success.

Yeah, I love it. And if you could go back in time and tell yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

You should have started sooner. And do you have any, do you.

Have any other advice for someone just starting out with a credit repair business?

Get a mentor. Mentors help you significantly. They help guide you to where you don't have to do everything by yourself. You have someone that's there to not only just support you with the business, but also help you through your mental, kind of the mental things that kind of go along with becoming an entrepreneur. So I would say get a mentor. That's the biggest thing.

Yeah, that's really good advice. I've had mentors along the way as well. It's a real shortcut. It's amazing.

It's a real shortcut. It's the T code.

It is. What's next for you? What's the next big goal?

My next biggest goal is real estate. I want to get into real estate investing. So of course my credit repair is not going. My credit repair business isn't going anywhere. We want to. My goal is to get a thousand clients. That is my biggest goal this year. My short term goal is to get a thousand clients and help more people, help more moms, help more people, you know, with their mental health. That is my, my short term goal for this year.

I love it. And how can people who are watching find your products and reach out to you, learn about your mentorship and, and everything else you've you offer. How can they reach out to you?

Absolutely. So you can go to www.and that's blue without the E because we already know we're excellent. So blueprint services.com or they can reach out by calling me at 312-885-8645.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for your time today, Bianca. This was a lot of fun. Did you have fun?

Absolutely. It was great. It was a great time.

And for everyone out there watching and listening, if you like this show, give us a thumbs up so more people will watch the show. And if you have a question or a comment, drop it down below because I read each and every one of them. I would love to hear from you and I'll respond as soon as I can. And if you want six months of our credit repair software for free and access to our advanced disputing and business courses, go to creditrepaircloud.com freetraining and sign up for our masterclass. And if you want to hear how another credit hero built a successful business from nothing, check out my interview with the brothers behind Goat's Credit. And if you'd like to improve your credit score and learn how to earn extra income repairing Credit for others, check out my brand new Start Repairing Credit Challenge. Doors are closing soon and it is completely free. So sign up right now@startrepairingcredit.com and keep changing lives.