Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
It hurts to be denied something you know you deserve, even more so after putting in so much effort. It’s possible to feel extreme disappointment and even depression as a result. In 2016, Irene Day had her hopes dashed and was on the verge of succumbing to depression. Luckily, this setback benefitted her because it inspired her to launch her own business.
Irene is the owner and founder of Hannah Financial. She has a lot of experience with taxes and credit and has a lot of credentials in those areas. She spent her formative years in the rough sections of Cleaveland, Ohio’s city center. Irene got her start in the workforce at Save A Lot, where she stayed for 13 years. Irene decided to make a career move after she graduated from college in 2016. She had the education and experience necessary to advance in her career.
Irene had tried to get an internal position and thought she had a shot at getting it, but it was, unfortunately, taken away from her. As a result of this setback, she reached an emotional and psychological low. So, in 2017, she quit her job and started her own business, Hannah Financial. By 2020, she had grown her company and was able to scale it to seven figures, becoming the first member of her family to earn over a million dollars.
Irene’s grandfather left her some money when he passed away, and she used that to settle all her outstanding debts. She needed assistance due to her poor credit standing and needed help finding someone she could put her trust in. Having learned the basics of credit repair from her research, she set about fixing her own credit. Her credit score improved by 12 points after she paid off her debts, totaling $30,000. She was her first paying customer ever. Her in-office family even let her use their credit cards for business. Hannah Financial was founded soon after that.
Irene faced a formidable challenge when she set out to launch her business without any sort of guidance or preparation. A degree from a university will not prepare you to launch a successful enterprise. Therefore, she was on her own to figure things out. It took her a while to understand that if one shows up for work only halfway, one can’t expect to make any money. “It’s not as simple as the internet makes it seem,” she said.
“In my interactions with others, I always try to be genuine and forthright. I am open about who I am, where I come from, and what I can do for you,” said Irene, explaining some of her work values. She doesn’t sugarcoat the truth about credit and taxes for her audience. Irene has witnessed many people packaging and rehashing nonsense that usually makes things worse for people. She’s committed to never being a part of those people.
Irene has just released her smartphone social networking app (Hannah Financial University in the app store). The Internal Revenue Service has yet to issue her with the necessary paperwork for establishing her nonprofit status. However, she plans to use her nonprofit to spread financial education to neighborhoods with high unemployment and low incomes, like the one she grew up in near Cleveland.
Iren Day says that people who want to start their own business should look at their current skills and figure out where they can improve. You can follow Irene on Instagram as @creditqueenirene.
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