Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Gibbs.
Hi Rachel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been surrounded by entrepreneurship my entire life. My grandfather started his entrepreneurial journey nine years before I was born. He inspired me to be an entrepreneur even though at first that was not part of my plan. I watched him do the operations, financials, marketing, and customer service for his own company; and he was very successful. But it wasn’t until 2016 while being an Insurance Auditor for the State of South Carolina that I started my entrepreneurial journey. I birthed my business, Gibbs Financial Fitness, a consumer financial services company designed to help the everyday American and Small Business owners with their finances. I ran my business as a side hustle for two years before going full-time. Taking a deep dive into full-time entrepreneurship came after spending a year as a Financial Crimes Investigator for a Big Four Accounting firm. I loved the work but the stress of the job burned me out and made me mentally and physically sick. My grandfather told me I was sick because I wasn’t designed to be an employee, I was designed to be an entrepreneur. He was absolutely correct. I will never forget the joy I felt after six months of leaving Corporate America, I made my yearly salary. I was definitely blown away. Two years after leaving Corporate America, I made six figures in my business. Today we offer more services and are expanding to different markets.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Entrepreneurship is a constant roller coaster, you have great days and you have not so great days. I always say you have to be an insane person to believe you can not only start a business but have faith in it to take care of you 100%. The one thing that keeps you motivated is your why. Your why is the reason you started this journey to begin with. I wanted to help as many people as possible with their finances. And no matter how much money is being made, I still teach my community about business and finance. It is my passion, I can talk about it all day long for free. I always remember that when I want to give up. It is ok to quit every day. See if you quit everyday that means you show up everyday. That means you are still implementing, revamping, eliminating and doing things in your business to help it reach the level of success you thrive for. The biggest challenge for me along the way was creating a strong marketing plan and designing the right processes and systems. Owning a business isn’t just about selling a product of service, it is about solving problems. It is about putting yourself in front of your niche audience. It is about implementing automation and processes that free up your time from being the same repetitive tasks. So I had to invest a lot of time, effort, and money into building my marketing strategy and building my automation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Gibbs Financial Fitness?
Gibbs Financial Fitness was formed in 2016. After college graduation, I realized people needed financial literacy, 76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. That means 76% cannot afford to have an unexpected bill of $500. I was privileged to have a grandfather teach me financial literacy during my childhood. I quickly found out that was not a common thing. Not to mention, my grandfather was the son of a sharecropper who did not have a formal education. So being the problem solver that I am, I created a business to help people with their finances. My story is a big part of what separates me from my peers. Most of them talk about the struggle of being poor and losing everything before becoming financially secure. That is not my story, and I embrace that. Gibbs Financial Fitness focuses on helping the everyday American and business owners strengthen their relationship with money. We specialize in Credit Consulting, Financial coaching, Tax preparation, Business formation, Business coaching, Business Credit, and Business funding. Very soon, we will be adding Life insurance to own repertoire. While we enjoy making money because we have to keep the lights on, we take great pride helping our clients becoming financially fit and living their dreams. I have written three books, two of them are best-sellers; I have developed courses; I have spoken at many events, and so much more; so the Gibbs Financial Fitness and Rachel S. Gibbs brand is continuously growing.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was being in the theater productions in middle school. Outside of my childhood friends, who were in the theater with me, and close family, nobody knows I was an actress. I took pride in theater and I was quite the performer. One of my biggest regrets is not continuing theater in high school and becoming an actress in Hollywood or Atlanta. I loved the auditioning, cast callings, rehearsals, and being under those hot bright lights. Not to mention putting together costumes, setting up the props, and remembering your cues to enter and exit the scene. Another cool thing about acting on stage is that you can’t see the people in the audience because you are present in your acting role. Who knows, I might get back into acting, I am still theatrical.
Contact Info:
- Email: support@gibbfinancialfitness.com
- Website: www.gibbsfinancialfitness.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rachel.Neff.Gibbs
Image Credits:
Aaron D. Smalls
