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Meet Fatima Tucker of JLM Financial Services in South Phoenix

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Fatima Tucker.

Fatima, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Englewood, NJ by a single mom, Janie Tucker, who passed when I was 19 years old, from heart failure. I have always worked to support myself since I was 15. I would do dog and cat census for the city. I would do hair out of our first-floor den even though my sister had a shop and was a beautician, I was too young, but I knew how. After my moms passing, I moved to Baltimore, MD, to get a new start where I met my son’s father and life had just begun for me. I worked as a legal assistant for most of my time in Baltimore until I went out on maternity leave and was told not to return to my position because the owner had replaced me while I was out. I had worked in that same position for two years with no warning or reason for why I was let go. I was told that they were within their right to do ‘at will’ terminations. I was heartbroken and had nowhere to turn and I had just had a baby boy. I did not panic because it was December and close to tax season so I knew that would help me through some of the transition until I found another position to support me and my son as he was only one month old and I was already a single parent as soon as he was born.

I started paying attention to finance and accounting that February of 2005, when I filed my taxes and the refund never arrived. At that time, I only knew that I was due money that would help me through and they told me that it was taken for a school loan that was in default. I was so confused that I had no idea what to do and I decided not to let anyone have that much control over my life or financial situations. I decided to learn!

I found out in 2010, that I had a real passion for numbers and that I wanted to help people who really didn’t understand their finances when I spoke to my mentor who helped bring this to the light.

JLM Financial was started in 2012. After my oldest brother passed away from illness in December of 2011, and I went to pack up his home, I returned to find that my position as a Portfolio Assistant/Assistant Property Manager was being stripped from me because I could not find daycare for my son for the 1 day that I had on the calendar before my brother’s passing. Being a single mom, living in Adelphi, Maryland at the time, I had no family or friends surrounding me, as I had moved there for that specific opportunity. At that moment, with no income, I chose to build something so that my foundation would never be controlled by another person. I thought to myself, “If I can work for someone else and help them build their company with my experience, then I could definitely do it for myself to secure myself and always have time for my son. Deciding to work for myself allowed me the freedom to spend as much time with my son as possible without worrying if I could afford daycare or worry about where I had to send him for holidays or days they were out of school. It was the best decision I could ever make.

I worked some part-time positions so that I could continue to pick my son up from school while I built my clientele. There were so many people against me but I knew that I was supposed to keep going and I fought my own mind and people who didn’t believe in me and kept going anyway. I was also a full-time student with Colorado Technical University Online, going for my Associates Degree in Accounting with a Concentration in Finance, at which I completed in 2012. It was challenging, but I worked during the day and did school at night. When accounting was slow, I started a cleaning company to help pay the bills until I found more accounting clients and tax clients. I had no help with marketing or finding clients. I searched craigslist and found a trucking company that took a chance on me and luckily I had the accounting software from school to do the job. He had no idea that I was new at accounting but he is still my client today. I was grateful and it showed me that whatever I put my mind to, I could do it.

I moved to Phoenix for love, but that did not work out and I am back to being a single mom and have continued to grow my business no matter what. I have met so many people in Arizona who are really supportive and caring. I have made some great affiliates like Optimize Your Biz, owned by Julie Shannon, Cinematic Topography, owned by Anthony Carter, and Real Grind Hoops & Seven City Knights, owned by Coach Lawrence Taylor, that has heavily aided in the growth of JLM Financial Services since I have been in Arizona,

I have never been happier anywhere in the world as I have been in Phoenix, AZ. It has been the most welcoming and most rewarding place that I have ever been to!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were many struggles along the way. Of course financial and we had to move around a bit, but it was all worth it.

Please tell us about JLM Financial Services.
I am an accountant. I do not have a CPA behind my name but I have experience. I specialize in helping start and structure business accounting operations as well as business health and wealth consulting and personal consulting. I also prepare taxes and aide with credit restoration and consulting.

I am most proud of sincerely helping people understand how to grow their wealth either in business or personal. My goal is to help you build capital and have a strong foundation and structure.

I believe what sets me apart is the personable relationships that I have with my clients. I am sincerely interested in knowing the details of their lives to better help them according to their real-life situations. JLM prides itself on taking the time to get to know each individual and each business owner to their comfort level.

What are you striving for, what criteria or markers have you set as indicators of success?
Success to me is accomplishing what I set out to do, which is help the individual or business. When I do that, and I see the smiles on the faces of the people who entrust their finances to me, it makes me feel accomplished. I look for people who are sincere about their businesses and their lives. I spend time on people who spend time on themselves. It makes it worth it when your work and efforts are appreciated.

Pricing:

  • Free -15 to 20 minute consultation.
  • Business Startups $250.
  • Reconciliations – Starting at $50 per account per month.

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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