MANdatory Awareness: Jay Allen

Jay Allen is a North Carolina native. He was born and raised in Eden, North Carolina holding strong ties to his birthplace of Greensboro, North Carolina. Jay was raised by his grandparents and nurtured by a loving village of people who cared for him like one of their own.  Jay holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and an MBA from David Lipscomb University located in Nashville, TN.  During his graduate tenure, Jay was selected to participate in an International Internship Program located in Hong Kong, China.

He is the founder of Allen Financial Solutions and Co-Owner of Boss Hogg Logistics, LLC.  In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, for the past 14 years, Jay is also a financial service industry professional for a Fortune 100 company serving in many capacities including credit analysis and underwriting, customer service, risk management, and sales.

In 2016, he earned a promotion and relocated from Nashville, TN to Overland Park, KS where he currently serves as a Business Development Consultant.

Outside of work, he enjoys being outdoors, spending time with family and friends, traveling the world, hitting the gym, and sharing his professional and personal development with youth.  He also enjoys attending personal development conferences and networking with other success-minded individuals.

AllisonJanel: How would you describe your Swagger? What makes Jay, Jay?

Jay: I would describe my swagger as unique, confident, fun, and courageous. You can search the earth and will never find another “Me”, though you’ll find plenty of people with my same name. I visualize God as being a Master Chef amongst many other wonderful things. I imagine he has an infinite amount of ingredients in his heavenly kitchen cabinets, for which he uses to create each one of us. I believe in my heart each one of us is our own unique recipe and there are no copies. That gives me confidence in knowing there is no other me on this planet. That’s where my swagger comes from.  I use to worry about what’s popular and the opinions of others until I realized that being different is really just being myself and that’s okay.  I understand my recipe isn’t for everyone’s one taste on the menu. I’m growing more comfortable with that each day.  My positive energy is infectious, and some call that charisma.  As a result, people usually like to have me around them. I count that as being a huge blessing.  I’ve silently faced and conquered more fears than I care to publicize. That’s why I previously stated my swagger is courageous.  I have that “feel the fear and do it anyway” type of swagger.  I saw a quote recently that stated: “As Dope As I Am Already, God Ain’t Even Through With Me Yet”.  I felt that in my spirit.

AllisonJanel: Can you please tell us more about Allen Financial Solutions and Boss Hogg Logistics, LLC?

Jay: Allen Financial Solutions is a financial services company that focuses on Credit Restoration & Financial Literacy.  Our main focus is to help our clients Restore, Rebuild, and Protect their finances.  We offer our clients what’s called the Protection Plan Membership. Credit Restoration is our flagship product within the Protection Plan, but our clients also get the benefit of having access to Identity Theft Protection through Privacy Armor, Credit Monitor Monitoring, Credit Attorneys, a budgeting tool, Will and Trust, Power of Attorney services and more.  What makes me unique and qualified in this area, is my experience working for a lender for the past 15 years full-time. I’ve sat in the seat as a Credit Analyst/Underwriter and have reviewed 1000’s of consumer & commercial credit applications. I’ve analyzed more credit bureaus for consideration of credit approval than I can remember. I aim to equip my clients with the tools & knowledge required to speak with confidence with any lender when the time comes.

Boss Hogg Logistics, LLC. is a partnership between my cousin and me. We are a logistics company focused on moving dry freight across the United States for various freight brokers and shippers. We have been in business since 2018 and we currently have 11 employees as of April 2020.  We are currently operating out of Homestead, PA & Buffalo, NY. We are under an agreement with Amazon to move their “Last Mile” freight to the US Post Offices in the Northeast Region. There have been some bumps and bruises along the way, and we’ve learned so much from them. There is absolutely no substitute for experience. The past two years have been a learning curve. The most rewarding part is being able to create jobs in our communities.  Several of our employees were actually laid off by other companies as a result of COVID-19.  There is no better feeling for me when I sit down to complete our weekly payroll. As I know I’m helping a family feel secure and confident about their financial stability.

AllisonJanel: What has your personal career path at a Fortune 100 company been like? 

Jay: I started as a summer intern back in 2005 for my current employer. I performed well and was offered a full-time position after graduation in December 2005.  My first role was in Customer Service, and that’s where I learned the value of what we call “The VOC or Voice of Customer”.  If you fail to understand the customer’s needs, then there is no business. From there I held various roles in Risk Management/Corporate Credit, Auction Sales, Legal Finance, Unsecured Credit, Financial Quotations Sales & Consultancy, & Business Development.  While pursuing my MBA, I had the unique opportunity to take a temporary leave from my employer in 2010. I became an intern for a large insurance firm in Hong Kong, China in their Financial Analysis & Planning Department.

AllisonJanel: Can you please tell us more about what started your finance career?

Jay: Honestly, my career in finance started by accident or maybe it was fate. I was one of those students who had no idea what I wanted to become before and during college.  During my sophomore year, I received a letter in the email stating I needed to declare a major ASAP. I knew I was good at math, and it’s always been my favorite subject. I also knew I wanted to make a lot of money when I graduated.  I began to think about the successful people in my life and what they did for a living.  My Uncle Johnny was someone I’ve always considered to be successful. He was an engineer and fellow North Carolina A&T State University.  Additionally, I was told accountants make a lot of money. Even though I didn’t have any real proof at the time, I literally flipped a coin in my mind and declared Accounting as my major.  While pursuing a degree in accounting, I fell in love with finance because we were required to take finance classes as part of the curriculum. Again, I’m not sure whether it was fate or luck, but I’m grateful.

AllisonJanel: What has contributed to your success?

Jay:  Great question. There is so much I can pull from on this one, but I’ll start with investing in myself.  That takes many forms and not all involve money.  I listen to a lot of podcasts on wealth building, entrepreneurship, health & well-being, trucking, and more.  Some of my favorite podcast are “Secrets to Success”, “Earn Your Leisure”, “Real Social Proof”, and “The Model Health Show”.  I also spend a lot of time on YouTube “University” learning from experts in those same fields.  I’ve invested in myself financially by attending conferences, live events, and masterminds to be amongst other success-minded individuals from other backgrounds.  Your environment is key. I believe your environment will change you before you change your environment, so I’m very cautious and aware of who I spend the most time with. The live events have so many benefits besides hearing the speakers. The major benefit, which is often overlooked is networking.  It’s not too often that you’re in a concentrated environment with people on similar paths as you.  With that stated, networking has also played a major part in my success.  There have been doors opened for me based on my association that I never knew existed.  This one might be obvious, but I’ll still include it.  Reading books has played a major role in shifting my mindset.  Books such as Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Secure The Bag by Rob Wilson, Relentless by Tim Grover, and The Millionaire Morning by Lewis Howes to name a few. Last but probably most importantly, is my health and well-being are a priority.  I exercise on a regular basis, keep up with my weight, and eat a pretty clean diet.  I make sure to get annual check-ups with my primary physician a priority.  In addition, I have also invested in a Naturopathic Doctor as well to make sure I’m focused on health prevention through foods vs. medicine treatment. Create a health plan and commit to sticking to it. All the success in the world will not matter if you’re sick.  Find ways to disconnect, set boundaries with clients, and keep mental health as a top priority.

AllisonJanel: What advice would you give to an upcoming entrepreneur

Jay:  Dream Big and then Dream Bigger. Do not get intimated by the size of the task at hand and focus on winning the day. You eat an apple the same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time. Get to know yourself and figure out your gifts and accept that your gifts and passions may not be the same. I’d recommend taking the DISC Personality Assessment to better understand your personality, who you are, how you adapt in certain situations and where your opportunities for improvement might be. In other words, Master Self!  Study and become an expert in your field and look for the gaps and where you can add value to your audience or consumer. Basically, solve the problem. So many entrepreneurs simply solved a problem and created generational wealth by doing so. Learn early how to handle your personal finances as those same habits will spill over into your business, good or bad. Get a coach/mentor, and do not be afraid to pay for their time. That’s an investment in yourself. Success leaves clues. Getting a mentor who’s been where you are, and is where you want to be can help you avoid so many pitfalls and mistakes. They will add to your learning tremendously.

AllisonJanel: What keeps you grounded?

Jay: I lost my mother at the age of 13. She was 43 at the time. I’ve seen so many people leave this earth too soon. I know it’s only by design and God’s Grace that I’m still here. Period!  The fact that tomorrow isn’t promised keeps me grounded.  No one is above tragedy and suffering, and I’m humbled by that. I sincerely aim to “Treat The CEO Like I Treat The Janitor”.  I was raised that way by my family and my village. 

Connect with Jay Allen below:

Business Website: www.AllenFinancialSolutions.Biz

Instagram: @Jay83Allen

Facebook: Jay Allen

LinkedIn: Jay Allen