In 2021, we shared the story of Ms. LaTonia Walker, an entrepreneur in Detroit who was finally able to draw an income from her burgeoning business. To celebrate this accomplishment, she was excited to purchase her first luxury car. The brand new Cadillac symbolized who she was becoming and where she was going on her entrepreneurial journey.

Now, nearly four years later, we took the opportunity to catch up with LaTonia, who still keeps in regular contact with her Operation HOPE Financial Wellbeing Coach, Brooke Ratliff. Her business, The Ladies League of Detroit, continues to grow a membership of women—also known as sisters—who come together regularly to support each other, both personally and professionally. “I built my business to give mid-career women in Detroit an opportunity to meet with their peers and have real conversations about the obstacles they’re facing to reach their goals,” said LaTonia. “Many of our members are the first of their families to go to college and have a professional job so I wanted to provide a space where we come together to learn, uplift each other and also have a lot of fun together,” she added.

When it comes to learning about finances, Brooke is a resource the League turns to. She guides the sisters through Operation HOPE workshops on financial topics including budgeting and building credit. “It’s not as simple as saying ‘I got this because I’m paying my bills.’ I want the sisters to truly understand how to make credit work for them. Calculating your debt-to-income ratio, being intentional about raising your credit score, and paying down debt means that they will be able to access better rates on mortgages, car loans and credit cards,” said LaTonia.

With a growing and thriving membership, LaTonia is excited about the future—both for her and the sisterhood. “We were taught that the way to get financial security was to get a good job. I’m here to show the sisters that a job with an employer isn’t the only way. If you have a business idea that you’re passionate about, entrepreneurship is available to you too.”

With support from Brooke, Operation HOPE, and the 1 Million Black Business Initiative, LaTonia is helping her sisters build a financial foundation so they can have the life they’ve dreamed of.

For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.