Credit guru and entrepreneur Kenny “SmittyTheGoat” Smith took a different path than his peers in Chicago. After realizing his basketball career was limited, he pivoted by watching a friend go off the grid and come back as a successful financial literacy expert. It was at that moment he put his head in the books and began studying the field as well. Although he admits parts of the process can get “boring,” the reward is well worth it.
Recently, Smith visited with rolling out to drop a couple of his coveted gems.
You present a new image of financial literacy with how active you are on social media and the way you dress, wearing chains and designer clothing. What do you hope to provide for the next generation?
The reason I do that a … is that this is what I like. This is what I want to do. I want to get to the narrative that you can dress how you want to dress if you want. If you were to start your own businesses and beyond [being] a CEO and stuff like that, we don’t have to dress a certain way. I want to show them that we don’t have to wear a suit and tie.
… This financial literacy stuff, it’s like education and flex. So I’m teaching you all that it’s cool to have A1 credit. It’s cool to start your [own]business. We don’t have to be out here, either robbing, [selling] drugs or whatever you’re doing to make money — that’s going the wrong way.
What is the line you draw when giving out free information in an interview like this or on Instagram Live?
It’s not just a specific set point where you say cut off. To be honest, if I give away my good stuff, a good way to get information, it’s still hard to put it in a full circle.
Where can people find you?
I’m on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. On YouTube, Twitter and Instagram is SmittyTheGoat, but on my Instagram, you have to put @_smittythegoat_, and exactly like that because there are like 50 fake pages.
For prospective investors looking to use Airbnb as a source of income, what advice would you give?
Get your credit right first. Let’s also establish an LLC and let’s get a business credit card. They’re gonna give us a 0 percent interest credit card, so that’s the one we want to go for. Take the money off that business credit card, and then use that money to now go pay the rent, furnish it and also put [it] in your business’ name.
The opinions and advice expressed are solely those of Kenny “SmittyTheGoat” Smith, not rolling out.
