For Portia, a 50-year-old professional voice actor, financial stability once felt like an unattainable goal. That changed when she saw an Instagram post from John Hope Bryant, the founder of Operation HOPE, offering free financial coaching. “I needed financial coaching, and free financial coaching was even better,” Portia recalls.

Up until then, saving seemed out of reach— despite earning a decent income, Portia found herself trapped in a cycle of spending. “I looked at it from a macro-level as opposed to saying there are little things that I can do to reach my goals. I was overwhelmed by the thought of saving $10,000 and so I sank into the pattern of spending money without thinking,” she said.

But Portia’s transformation didn’t begin with budgeting and spreadsheets—it began with belief. Through meditation and prayer, she shifted her mindset. “I stopped saying I was poor. I started saying, ‘I am wealthy.’ I envisioned money in my bank account.”

This mental shift opened the door for practical change, and that’s where Operation HOPE’s Financial Wellbeing Coach Regina Osei entered the picture. Together, Regina and Portia began to confront Portia’s financial struggles. Regina urged her to make debt reduction a priority, including making additional car payments and paying off more than the minimum on credit card bills. “I just wasn’t crunching those numbers. And once I saw those numbers, I realized that something else had to be done,” she said.

Regina also helped Portia stay accountable by challenging her to save. “I put aside money because I knew Regina was going to see me in two weeks and would ask me how much I saved and I didn’t want to be embarrassed by saying I didn’t have it,” said Portia.

With Regina’s support—and a detailed plan—Portia started saving regularly and built both an emergency fund and a savings account. “I would never have had an emergency fund or opened a money market account without her,” she said. But more than the financial tools, it was Regina’s gentle and kind approach to educating Portia that made the biggest difference. “I was in tears at the start. I told her, ‘I don’t know what to do. I’m lost.’ And she prayed with me before our sessions.”

The results were life-changing. By the time Portia moved on from the program, she had increased her credit score by over 100 points and has now saved $10,000—money she plans to use toward purchasing her first home. “My goal is to become a homeowner,” she said with pride. Dining out and other non-essential expenses have taken a back seat: “it was just too much money being spent there.”

Encouraged by her progress, Portia has taken another step—she connected with a fee-based financial advisor. “Now that I’ve built the foundation, I’m ready to start investing and make my money work for me,” she said.

Her advice to others? “In America, so many people—especially people of color—are not encouraged to do the right thing financially. Take advantage of what John Hope Bryant and Operation HOPE are offering. These resources are here for you.”

Portia continues to have deep gratitude for a program that she says is rooted in education and accountability: “My life has done a complete 360. I want to thank John Hope Bryant and Regina for changing my financial outlook and putting me on the right path.”

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