How I learned to conquer my credit anxiety

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chase and #WeAllGrow Latina Network. However, the opinions and text are all mine.

This is the story of a freelance woman who moved from her country of origin to the USA and had to re-learn how to make her business crossover work.

This is my own story. When I first visited the US as a tourist, I was appalled by how hard paying with my foreign credit card was: the credit card machines at stores would have trouble reading my cards, my Mexican bank would freeze any transaction abroad until I called them (usually taking time and money in long-distance calls), and none of those purchases would add any value to my credit score outside the country where my card was issued in.

When later in life I moved to the US, I was not only a newcomer but also woman in her thirties trying to crossover a brand and a business with no credit score in this county. This detail, as I learned later, is the equivalent of having a bad credit score; with no credit history, banks do not know if you are worth their confidence. Realizing this really stressed me; I was juggling between being a migrant, a mom and an entrepreneur who needed all the help I could get to get back on my feet. I discovered that tackling your personal finances can be nerve-wracking, but this is the time to empower yourself to be financially healthy and achieve the freedom to feel confident about your money. Then I saw a video from Chase that brought things home for me: I could totally feel the woman in the video’s anxiety; I really don’t like rollercoasters. I recognized that funny feeling in the pit of the stomach as I realized I had no credit score built in the US; it is exactly what it feels like when I am pushed into a ride at an amusement park, or when I am on an airplane and it’s time to take off or land. Wow, I get that not-so-great feeling way too often!

Check out the video so you can see for yourselves what I am talking about:

Back in the day, when I began to live and work in the US, I opened a checking account at a bank, then later that month I applied for a credit card with a small credit line. I used that card often and paid the full amount every month. I constantly reminded myself that a credit card is not free money, but a responsibility.  This year, at the #WeAllGrow Latina Summit, I experienced a virtual reality rollercoaster ride (yes, it feels pretty real) as a warm up to the first step to conquering my finances: arming myself with knowledge about credit, my now existing score, and methods on how to manage it. It is crucial for anyone’s well-being – today and in the long run – to have solid financial knowledge. I also enjoyed the panel of experts moderated by Brittney Castro, Chase Financial Education Ambassador and Founder/CEO of Financially Wise Women. These four trailblazing women shared personal “conquering” moments in their careers. I felt inspired by all of them, but Beatriz Acevedo, founder of Mitú got me with this:

There’s a lot of things I learned and relearned during #weallgrow summit 2017. But maybe this quote from @beatrizacevedogreiff at the at @chase Creating Espacios keynote is one that specially resonates on my. Most of the time in my daily life, I feel I am the different person in the room; from my accent to my look to my professional pursuits. Now I just got this reminder, therefore I must find how to make this advantage work for me #conqueryourcredit.

Una publicación compartida de Paty (@guapologa) el 5 de Mar de 2017 a la(s) 6:31 PST

Later, I visited Chase Slate’s suite at #WeAllGrow Latina Summit, where we got to make our own aromatherapy essential oil spray to help us work on our personal anxieties. I chose the Fear Buster combination, as I was dealing with my fear of asking for an increase to my credit line so I could build up my styling business.

The best part was that when I came back home after the Summit, my daughter saw the Fear Buster spray and asked me: “Did you get this for me?” I explained to her that I had the opportunity of talking with an expert in aromatherapy and that she guided me on creating that combination to help diminish anxiety. She was very excited about the power of this mist and asked me if she could have it, to help her beat her fear of the dark. Obviously, my Fear Buster spray now lives on her nightstand.

Tackling your credit score doesn’t have to be intimidating!  It is empowering to know where you stand and take steps to achieve optimal financial health. Use tools that can empower you to make savvy financial decisions and manage your credit with confidence. Don’t wait. This is the time to overcome your hesitation and conquer your credit! To learn more about how to #ConquerYourCredit check out this link  with additional information and tools to start now.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chase and #WeAllGrow Latina Network. The opinions and text are all mine.