While a large percentage of people hardly think about the condition of their credit regularly, Shawn Sharma has made an impressive living doing just the opposite. Starting from humble beginnings, Shawn’s work ethic and eagerness to learn would take him to the Ivy League and then on to seven-figure entrepreneurship. Now he helps clients learn the importance of their credit score and how to maximize credit card and travel rewards to create wealth.
Shawn grew up the son of highly educated immigrant parents, who could not convert their education into comparable jobs in the US through a series of challenging circumstances and obligations. As a result, Shawn became ferociously determined to discover success, wealth, and fulfillment of the American dream. Starting with a scholarship to an elite boarding school, Shawn went on to Cornell University, and eventually, medical school. While in college, he discovered the highly profitable benefits of credit arbitrage from which he was quickly earning $2,000-$3,000 per day. Founding Credit 101, Shawn created a plan to help empower others to leverage their own credit and have the same opportunities for wealth and success as him.
Credit 101 helps thousands of people to legally take advantage of credit cards and travel offers, such as bonuses, rewards, cash-back, and more. Shawn shows clients how to improve their credit scores and access lines of credit to fund businesses, explaining that the best part of his success comes from creating equal opportunities for everyone interested in meeting their financial goals. “I started Credit 101 with the idea of wanting to empower others to be able to leverage their own credit and have a chance to live the American dream.”
Shawn began exploring credit card arbitrage in college by maximizing frequent flyer miles but went on to create over a dozen businesses that earned him a seven-figure income with no signs of tapering off soon. However, Shawn is not content merely raking in the money for himself, but rather genuinely wants to help others. “My passion is educating others on the ins and outs of credit and making it a familiar resource in their day-to-day lives,” Shawn explains. The response has been staggering, as he has amassed an Instagram following of over 1 million.
Shawn’s journey proves that anything is possible when a person is willing to educate himself, accept mentorship, and learn from their mistakes. He credits his past failings (including verge of bankruptcy) for strengthening his resolve to overcome any obstacle. Regardless of skin color, socioeconomic background, or other unfavorable circumstances, everyone starts with the same baseline credit, which is what Shawn’s entire business is built upon. He says, “If I had not known about credit, I wouldn’t have been able to get a world-class education through leveraging student loans. If I had not known about credit, I wouldn’t have been able to start credit card arbitrage or start a number of the over twenty business I founded with no out of pocket money. Credit has been a major pillar behind my success, which is why I am so passionate about making sure others have the same opportunities that I’ve had.”
The reality is that most people do not understand the benefits of utilizing credit cards responsibly, which the big credit card companies perpetuate. Shawn teaches clients about the benefits of paying credit cards before their statement closes. By doing so, you can avoid paying interest while still accruing miles, cash-back, and points. The rewards can translate to considerable returns in the form of rewards or cash-back to the average consumer, easily $2000-$10,000 annually to a middle-class family.
While many entrepreneurs gain business success, the ones with longevity hone their skills in personal branding, collaboration, and delegating lesser tasks to a handful of business managers. “I train one sales manager, and then give him 100% responsibility to hire, recruit, train, and build the team below him,” Shawn says of his business model. Doing so allows business owners time to focus on networking, building successful partnerships, and allowing good managers to generate more company revenue, resulting in higher compensation for themselves.
Never measuring himself against others, Shawn sees the competition as only himself against his former wins. He says he plans to see Credit 1010 reach a nine-figure or higher valuation but is most excited that this translates to millions of people helped by these services. “I want to change the way education is administered in the US and want to focus my energy on improving financial literacy in lower socioeconomic groups and minorities.”
The best entrepreneurs are those with a heart for others. Shawn continues to take care of his disabled mother, give back to society through various charities, and inspire people who start off absent of a silver spoon in their mouths. He says that through his life’s work, he proves that anyone with enough grit and determination can succeed in this country.
To follow Shawn and learn more about how you can fix your credit score and maximize your personal wealth, check him out on his website and Instagram.