“I’m branded as the ‘Credit Stylist’ because I style my clients credit and finances with an unrecognizable before and after. “ – Ebony Cochran on why she’s known as the Credit Stylist.
Ebony Cochran is known as the “Credit Stylist” and her specialty is boosting credit scores and eliminating debt. To date, Cochran has assisted over 400 clients and helped them eliminate over $4 million in debt. She is the owner of Blackwood Credit Service, which is a consulting firm that specializes in credit consulting and small business startup consulting. Cochran prides herself in helping all of her clients on an individual basis.
No stranger to running a successful business, Cochran previously owned and operated an income tax preparation business for 10 years and then went on to sell it to H&R Block. She’s also great at branding herself, and her latest marketing campaign “Ebony Cochran for Credit,” is simply genius (google it). This millennial is making moves, making a name for herself, and making debt disappear. You can catch her on “Back to the “Money Mondays” on Detroit’s Hot 107.5 FM from 8 to 9 a.m. where she talks all things credit. She can also be reached on social media across all platforms as Ebony Cochran
Rolling out sat down with Cochran for an exclusive interview on what she does and how she does it.
What’s the name of your business and what exactly do you do?
Blackwood Credit Services is a consulting firm that is dedicated to assisting consumers and business owners achieve credit and financial stability through counseling and education.
Describe your creative process in your business.
My creative process is my business marketing efforts. Many people that have bad credit are ashamed to work with me because they feel that there will be some judgement on my end. My marketing efforts allow me to show clients who have not been successful with credit that a change can be made by simply working with me. I post something called a #testimonyreport to spotlight my client’s credit accomplishments. These posts include before and after credit scores, negative accounts being removed from their credit report and some even closing on their new home.
Describe your creative collaborations and the importance of collaboration.
My creative collaborations include working with others that have businesses that collide with my educational foundation. I have been asked to speak at many churches and other group functions to bring awareness to this issue. There have also been many events that are hosted for entrepreneurs that have reached out to have me educate them. These collaboration opportunities have also drawn in potential and new clients.
Collaborations are important because it allows you to be introduced into a new audience that you may not have ever had the opportunity to speak to.
What motivates you to be in your industry?
My clients motivate me. Before I officially starting taking clients I started working on my husband’s reports and I would post his results on social media. People were coming at me from everywhere asking me to assist them. This is when I initially realized that this was a major problem in the community. When clients call or email me crying about how far they have come over a short period of time, it just solidifies for me that what I do is truly making a difference in their lives.
Describe the social media strategy for promoting your business.
I post real people with real results. This allows potential clients to see people just like them have awesome results just because they made the decision to start working on their credit and finances.
Name three role models who inspire you in your industry.
Mike Citron-Credit, John Ulzheimer-Credit and Dave Ramsey-Finance.
Name a creative icon that influences your approach to business and life.
Kanye West — he thinks outside of the box.
Your business is about assisting people with achieving credit and financial stability. So how do you develop fresh and creative ways to help each client individually?
Creativity is necessary. The creative culture of my company is ‘let’s try everything once!’ My style and creativity are influenced by knowing exactly what a potential client is looking for because I was once my client. My creative voice can be seen and heard with my client’s testimony reports that can be found on Instagram and Facebook at Ebony Cochran. I even find myself being quoted by clients when they are educating their friends and family.
