( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) Joel Dalmida, A Remarkable Entrepreneur Who Inspires Others to Seek Good Credit
ENSPIRE Contributor: Devyn Petraglia
Joel Dalmida is a 25-year-old entrepreneur who is a thriving owner of Gold Line Credit LLC to assist his community in learning more about finances and credit. His life is a success story, and he had to endure a rough childhood before achieving his mission. Born in Bankhead, Albany, Joel grew up in a single-parent household and experienced many hardships. Lacking financial knowledge and missing out on many amenities in life, he set out to help his community down the road. He noticed individuals around him getting evicted and abusing drugs, so he wanted to transform his life. He was motivated to support his community when he and his friends were involved in a shootout. He was lucky to make it out alive and attended college at Albany State University. He was fortunate enough to meet a man who offered him a career that changed his life forever at his restaurant job. He mastered credit value and kept a 700 credit score, secured his luxurious car and apartment.
Even though Joel endured a rough start in life, he got his college degree and secured his dream job to serve his community. The struggles he endured gave him hope that life could be better for himself and those facing poverty. As the owner of his own company, he wants to make others feel blessed, similar to how his mentor blessed him with his career. He has worked with celebrity clients such as Desi Banks and Tank and many other individuals who seek good credit to purchase homes, cars and become entrepreneurs. He has helped many people achieve their dreams by teaching them the value of credit. His future goals involve spreading the word about having a high credit score, especially in the Black community. Because many people lack prior knowledge of establishing good credit, they struggle to gain financial success and achieve their dreams. Joel wants people to know that a good credit score is essential in building wealth and living a better life.
ENSPIRE spoke with Joel Dalmida about his company, Gold Line Credit LLC, to learn more about how he’s inspiring his community to achieve a better credit score.
How did you climb from poverty and build a life of success?
By changing my mindset and changing my surroundings. I had to remove myself from the environment I was in and change the people I was hanging around. Also, by being fortunate enough to have a successful mentor, I was exposed to a positive influence to follow in my pursuit of success.
What was the most challenging moment in your childhood that inspired you to help your community in the future?
Seeing my mother work hard to provide and knowing that there are so many people who work hard but lack the education about finances. So I wanted to be someone to empower them through financial literacy to understand how to change their circumstances and build better lives for themselves the same way I have been able to.
What is your best success story since you started your business?
That is a tough one because there are so many. I have helped a couple of families get into new houses and get into new positions for a job. So many people don’t know that many employers are starting to review credit reports to determine if they will offer you a job. Recently, one of my clients was able to secure the job he wanted because I helped him improve his credit, and he was also able to buy a new house not too far from the job. I was thrilled to be able to help him accomplish something huge like that.
What is the mission statement for your company?
We strive to push every individual to the best of their ability through motivation, inspiration, and financial literacy – using knowledge and tools to follow a golden brick road to financial freedom.
What was your goal after college?
I went to college and studied computer engineering, so my goal initially was to get a job in that field. Clearly, what I do now has nothing to do with that, but I am happy with the direction that life has taken me, and I believe I can change the lives of far more people.
What is your daily routine with clients at the company?
First thing in the morning, I go through all of the voicemails and text messages from clients, and I field phone calls from the new clients that come in every day. Then, I spend time working with my team to review credit reports, process their credit disputes, and get everything sent out to clients. Our focus is to help those with bad credit obtain good credit as quickly as possible and achieve their goals. So, not only do I focus on fixing their credit issues, but I frequently have conversations with my clients to educate them further and advise them on the steps to leverage their credit for new opportunities and to get what they want.
What was your journey when achieving your credit score, car, and apartment?
When I finished college, I had some student loans, and I didn’t know much about credit at all. But, I learned that although they were loans, they were also lines of credit that I could use to get credit cards. Then I discovered the different types of credit cards, banks, and institutions that would give me lines of credit. I partnered with a credit union and was able to build my portfolio, so I started small. I bought a $15,000 car, and after a year of positive payment history, I traded it in for a new car. That was my strategy, and it effectively allowed me to get something new without the hassle that many people experience. By staying on top of my payments, opening new lines of credit, and keeping all of my accounts positive, I have been able to maintain an excellent credit score and qualify for everything I want.
What is one example of how you have helped a client obtain a better credit score?
One client had credit scores in the 530s, and I helped him achieve good credit by increasing his scores by almost 200 points from the 530s to the 720s. Because of that, he was able to purchase a new home, and he was also able to successfully purchase new cars and start his own rental car business.
How will you continue to help the community down the road?
I plan to make more jobs available for people in the credit business and those who desire to go towards manufacturing, real estate, and the car rental industry. For me, it’s all about creating more opportunities. I also will continue to make donations, and I want to do back-to-school events and more food and clothing drives in underserved communities. I don’t want to get caught up in materialism as many people do. I want to make a difference.
Do you have any more plans for your company?
I am purchasing cars, and I will soon be launching my own rental car company.
Overall, the amazing Joel Dalmida has inspired his community to live a more stress-free life by learning the value of credit. As a successful entrepreneur, he has shown us that credit is essential in achieving a better life. Joel has made such a difference in his community by helping other poverty-stricken people to overcome their toil and learn the value of credit. Having already established his success story, he wants others to do the same and live a life of prosperity.
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