>> Major funding for "Opportunity Knock$" is provided by the National Council for Financial Opportunities, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing poverty and creating economic mobility by breaking down systematic barriers, increasing equitable access to capital, and making opportunity accessible to all.

Its programmatic areas of focus include financial resiliency, financial accessibility, and income adequacy.

Additional funding provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation, which seeks to strengthen historically marginalized communities by investing in pathways to economic advancement and generational wealth.

Additional funding for "Opportunity Knock$" provided by Balance... and Callahan & Associates.

Previously on "Opportunity Knock$"... >> Your daughter is in her last year of high school.

>> She wants to go to culinary school.

>> Culinary school?

Okay, so in the same Opportunity Finder, want to go to where it says "education."

>> If you made your house feel happier and healthier, then you would feel happier and healthier, >> You said you need to get your taxes done, so we have our free tax preparation.

>> We were able to get you approved for $5,200.

>> I needed it really bad.

>> The big thing we need to do for you is get you smiling again.

>> Every day, millions of Americans must make the choice between paying rent... >> We're behind on rent.

>> We got to pay the mortgage.

>> ...or buying groceries.

>> I live paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes that doesn't even cut it.

>> So we got spaghetti with no meat.

Are you serious?

>> "Opportunity Knock$" is back with our three esteemed coaches and six new underestimated families to create a personalized journey... >> Are you gonna do what I ask you to do?

>> ...that everyone watching can benefit from.

>> I'm just hopeful that I won't always be struggling.

>> Through these families' experiences... >> This is an emergency.

>> ...you will see that a better life is possible with the tools that they are provided.

>> And we're going to turn your life around like you have no idea.

>> Are the obstacles that these families are facing too much?

>> Your mom is sick, too?

>> A loan that I obtained online, interest rate's like 600-something.

>> What I'm seeing is almost 700%.

>> You're looking at bankruptcy.

>> ...or will their coaches help them open the door when opportunity knocks?

♪♪ >> ♪ Sweet sun ♪ ♪ Why don't you come and shine down on me?

♪ ♪ Sweet sun ♪ ♪ Why don't you come and shine just for me?

♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> Hello!

Hey!

>> Hello!

How are you?

>> Good.

How are you?

>> Good to see you.

Hi, friend.

>> Come on in.

>> Hi.

How are you?

>> Who are you?!

[ Squeals ] >> I know, it's -- >> Who are you?!

>> I know.

Come on.

Come on.

Oh!

>> Oh, my God.

Oh, my gosh.

>> Yeah, it's -- It's all there.

>> Why don't you sit down so we can catch up?

>> Oh, my gosh.

>> When Patrice sees my smile, she is blown away.

And it really makes me feel like all the work and all the pain that I did have to go through was well worth it.

And I'm happy.

I'm ecstatic.

>> I'm like in awe.

How do you feel with that beautiful smile?

>> I feel good, I feel a lot more confident, a lot happier.

>> Has he been smiling all day?

>> He has.

>> Every day?

Well, I see we're still in the house.

So last time I came, there was the potential that you could lose the house.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Yeah.

So we actually went to The Opportunity Finder and found Pelican State Credit Union, and they were able to offer us a loan to help pay for the payments for the next few months.

And then, they were also able to consolidate most of our credit cards.

So that way it puts it all into one and saves us probably a good $300 a month.

And for the first time, we've actually been able to pay all of our bills on time and not have a single one late or overdraw our account, which is a big thing, too.

>> Yeah, we were overdrawing it all the time and we haven't done it since.

>> Oh, my goodness.

How do you feel?

>> I can't stop smiling.

So, I mean...

It was terrifying not knowing if we were going to be able to keep our house.

Learning we were within days -- days from losing it, it was shocking.

And that Pelican was able to step in and say, "Hey, we got you.

We're going to work together to get you where you need to be."

>> What else has shifted since the last time I saw you?

>> Why don't you start with this one?

>> I went on The Opportunity Finder like you told me and was able to find a career counselor, and she talked to me and inspired me to get a job and help me with my résumé.

And I was able to get a job at the same school the kids go to as an STA para.

And I've finished eight classes, so I'm hoping to finish my degree in the next couple of months and get a teaching position next year.

>> How are we doing with your job search?

>> I left retail, and once I left retail, I was relieved.

And I started working as a delivery driver for Amazon.

>> Oh, my gosh.

You know this makes me so happy.

>> Having Patrice notice our confidence and my job and how well I'm doing is amazing.

It makes me feel great.

>> You're doing a good job.

I'm so proud of you guys.

>> Yeah.

>> So we have a new virtual tool called The Opportunity Coach.

And, essentially, it just allows you to have accountability.

I really want you to get in the habit of checking in on a daily basis, just so you have a place to record what you're doing with your finances, your savings, your debt elimination, all the things.

So check out The Opportunity Coach.

So you guys have your marching orders.

You know what to do next.

Just keep going with the same energy and the same enthusiasm, passion, and discipline that you've been using.

And I can't wait to see you next time.

I'm so excited.

Give me a hug.

You guys keep in touch.

>> Yes, ma'am.

>> Keep me posted, and I will see you soon.

>> Sounds good.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> Look what's over there.

The zebras.

Look at the zebras.

Zebras!

>> Yay!

>> Oh, they're eating and they're drinking water.

Isn't that so cool?

Look at the stripes on them.

What else is here, guys?

The El Paso Zoo is great.

I used to go there on field trips as a kid, and to this day, it's something that me and my kids enjoy doing.

They love just to go look at the animals.

Look at, he's looking at you.

But we hadn't gone yet this year.

Look at him.

Oh, my gosh.

He's eating.

Look at the baby giraffes.

>> Baby giraffe?

The one that's -- The one that's tinier than the big one is the dad -- is the mom.

>> Wow.

The kids and I are seeing giraffes and zebras, and we're just so excited to see all these animals and count how many they are and talk about what they're eating.

It's always such a good time for us to be there.

>> Kids are having a good time.

>> Yes, they are.

You know, with the consolidation loan for my credit cards, I am saving about $140 a month.

>> Yeah.

>> So, I mean, that's the money that allows me to bring the kids out and take them places, have more outings.

>> Been seeing you do a lot more stuff with the kids, which is great.

>> My coach, Louis, is coming back.

>> Louis, okay.

>> And, so, I'm super excited to go ahead and tell him everything that I've done so far, all the work that I've put in.

>> I know you've been trying really hard, and you've actually been doing really, really well, Nicole.

>> We're proud of you.

>> What I'm really excited to tell him, too, about is that I have health insurance now, which is huge.

>> Oh, that's awesome.

Oh, yeah.

>> I'm excited to see Louis again and have him come back and just share everything that I've learned and everything that I've done so far.

>> You just seem like you're more at peace.

>> Compared to when I first met him, it was a lot more rocky back then.

I didn't have insurance.

My credit cards were just really bad.

And then, with school, I kind of just gave up on that dream because I figured it wasn't going to happen for me.

But now it's more exciting and I'm excited to share it with him.

>> When are you going to see him?

>> He's coming next week, so that's when I get to tell him all the good news and everything that I've worked hard for.

>> Oh, nice.

>> Let us know how it goes.

>> If you guys want any advice or tools or are looking for something specific, you guys can also go utilize The Opportunity Finder.

It's for anyone who wants -- who's looking for that kind of help.

Anyone can use it and it's free and you'll find all the resources you need based on what you're looking for.

>> That's a thought.

That's something we'll definitely keep in mind, huh?

>> Right, exactly.

>> Yeah.

♪♪ >> Today is my appointment with the Urban League, and I have an appointment with Ms. Klassi.

And I'm excited because her name is Klassi, so I know she's about to offer me a lot of opportunities.

I'm hoping she does.

>> Oh, it's so nice to meet you.

What brings you here today?

>> So I'm here to get some advice on how to start up a business.

>> You are looking to go into entrepreneurship?

>> Yes.

I'm ready to be my own boss.

>> Awesome, awesome.

So let me tell you a little bit about who we are, what we do here at the Urban League of Louisiana.

The Urban League of Louisiana is one of more than 90 affiliates of the National Urban League.

One of the things that's so important to us is making sure that you have access to the right resources.

I'm thrilled to lead the work that we do for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, because we know that the better equipped you are as early on in the process as possible, the better the outcome, the better the success.

You are now coming to a place where you can get resources to start that business.

That's the first step, right?

So I have to applaud you already because you're already doing the right thing.

>> I'm ready to be a boss.

>> Yes, you're ready to be a boss, and you can be.

>> From what Klassi is telling me, they offer all type of business advice, which she's already, like, feeding me a lot of information.

I'm like, okay, okay.

When I talk to my financial coach, Ms. Patrice, she -- I was telling her, like, all the things that I do, and she was like, you need to maybe turn it into like a service that you offer.

Because I do hair, nails.

>> Yes.

>> I do makeup.

I make, like, custom clothes, shoes, like bling items.

>> You provide all of those services.

That's good.

So you've already started your business, essentially.

>> Yeah.

Just don't know what to do and how to go about it.

>> You to formalize it.

>> Yes.

>> Right?

But I want to make sure that you understand the scope, right, of what it takes to be a business owner.

You want to have a plan, right?

And, so, we're going to focus on developing and helping you to develop that plan.

Now, it's going to be some work.

Right?

Because we're going to do research.

We're going to look at what's going on in the market.

We're going to do an industry analysis.

We're going to understand, right, where are those lines of services, and what are those products that are going to make sure that you get to the level of profitability that you want to get to, right?

Because, again, you also want to be thinking about long-term.

>> Yes.

>> "How am I going to create not just a business, but a brand that can last beyond myself?"

>> I'm like too excited to start a business.

It's like I'm doing the things, but I just need, like, a plan to know how to, like, not only do these things, but to, like, make money and do things the right way.

That way, like, people can take me more serious.

>> So what I want to do is start off with getting you set up as a business.

>> Okay.

>> Right?

And one of the things I always tell businesses is the great thing about becoming a client of the Urban League is that you now are connected to a network.

Now you are part of a big family.

You don't have to go it alone.

Right?

And you can get the help that you need.

And our team is going to be in touch with you to schedule your first meeting with a business advisor.

We're happy to have you.

So welcome to the family.

>> Thank you.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> Hi, how are you?

>> I'm good.

How are you?

Oh.

>> Good.

Thank you.

>> Welcome.

Come on in.

>> Thanks so much.

This place looks good.

>> Thank you.

>> Yeah.

>> Hey, Wes, Jean's here.

As soon as Jean notices the house, I feel proud in that moment.

Like I accomplished something that she wanted me to accomplish.

>> Bring me up to speed.

I got to say, when I left, I was worried.

And I think you were worried.

You were a couple months behind.

>> Yeah.

>> On your rent.

And you're still here.

Which I take as a good sign.

>> Yes, yes.

>> What has happened?

>> So The Opportunity Finder linked us with Telhio, a credit union, and they were able to give us a loan to pay our back rent.

So we are all caught up on our rent now.

>> Great.

We have been paying our rent on time, which has felt so good to be able to do.

>> Yeah, for sure.

>> Yeah.

>> We were talking about your income.

>> I'm working full time now, which has been awesome, and Rowan has been able to go with me now to work.

>> Perfect.

>> I'm working full-time.

Getting childcare for Rowan, it makes me feel excited to keep going and proud of myself, proud of where we have come from before.

>> Have you ever heard the expression "perfect is the enemy of good enough"?

>> I'm writing that down.

>> The trick is just to be overall more conscious.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And The Opportunity Finder has an Opportunity Coach built in.

It's accountability, and I'm accountability for you guys.

But I'm not here every day.

I'm not that day-to-day accountability.

The Opportunity Coach provides that day-to-day accountability.

So, every day, you can interact with The Opportunity Coach and you can say, "Today we spent $50, you know, and here's where it went."

And The Opportunity Coach can give you feedback.

I think you need that.

Okay, so we've got some homework.

Go back to The Opportunity Finder and sign up for The Opportunity Coach tool.

>> I am looking forward to taking everything that Jean has given us and implementing it into our daily lives.

>> I'm always, you know, a phone call away.

>> Yes.

>> So, if you need me, please reach out.

I mean that.

And I'll see you soon.

>> Great.

Sounds good.

Thank you so much for coming.

>> Oh, of course.

This is hard, but you've got this.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> Well, hello, y'all.

>> Hey, friend.

How you been?

>> Hi.

Hey, Mama.

What's going on, girl?

What's going on?

You look -- Yeah.

You slaying.

My friend, Kyra, that's my girl.

Like, that's my girl.

We've been rolling for years.

We've been friends for almost 20 years now.

It's like my bestie.

More like a sister to me.

What you been doing all day, Mama?

'Cause you've been calling me all day.

>> I try to fix me some pants.

>> You been sewing?

I got some for you to sew for me, you can take up, sew for me.

I got two outfits I need you to sew for me.

I just got one you can hem and one you can like -- >> Don't you got a sewing machine?

>> Yeah, I got a sewing machine, but that's what mamas are for.

[ Laughter ] >> I used the ironing band -- [ Speaking over one another ] >> My mom really good with sewing, like, a lot of times, last minute, when I don't want to sew it, I just go be like, "Oh, I need this.

Like, it's an emergency."

And she just do it for me.

Even though she might, like, fuss at me and be like, "I'm not doing it."

She'd be like, "You know, you could have just did this.

You have a sewing machine at home."

Like, that's what moms are for.

Like...

So, y'all, the most amazing things been happening to me for the past few weeks, and I'm, like, really excited to share with y'all because it's been some life-changing things that I needed to happen.

>> Okay, well, you've been working.

>> And I got my notebook, y'all.

I had to write this stuff down because I have so much of stuff that I want to share with y'all.

I won't forget nothing because y'all know my love, what I've been going through with my journey, like, financially, been needing help and stuff.

So I first met with a financial coach, Ms. Patrice, which she showed -- She told me about, like, so many amazing things.

>> Like, what made you even hook up with a financial planner, let alone finding one?

Like choosing one?

>> I was gifted a financial coach.

When she walked in the door, I was like, "Ooh, I'm in trouble."

She's gonna get on me.

>> She's gonna get you together?

>> But she's, like, so amazing.

I feel like she gave me so much information.

And she told me about this site called Opportunity Finder.

So I went on to the site, Opportunity Finder, which there's all type of resources.

And one of the resources in particular that I found out about was the CDFI.

I found the New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit Union.

They refinanced, like, my car.

On top of refinancing my car, they pretty much consolidated, like, all my bills together, where like, I pretty much make one payment monthly.

So that ain't it.

That's not it.

>> So it's more than just -- >> There's more.

So also on The Opportunity Finder, there's an option where United Way is on there, which they help you.

So when I went to United Way, Ms. Chiquita, she was telling me about opportunities where they can help me get a bigger home.

So that means you can move together.

Not only the United Way help you, like, with getting homes, like, getting -- they helping me do my taxes because I haven't filed my taxes, like, almost -- >> Well, I need to do mine.

>> See, this opportunity is going to help me to help you.

>> All right.

All at United Way?

>> All at United Way.

Right in our own community that we never knew about.

>> I've heard of that before, but I've never really, one, known how to do it, let alone getting the information on the benefits of it.

>> If you go on the site, Opportunity Finder, you'll find out, like, so many resources, I feel good to, like, be the ambassador for Opportunity Finder, because I feel like I have so many friends that are going through some of the same things that I'm going through, like, and to have, like a financial coach who told me about so many things about this site, like, and to be able to, like, actually tell my friends and family about it, like, I can't wait to, like, share with everybody, like, when people start talking to me now, I'mma be like, "Nope, go to Opportunity Finder."

When they say -- nope, go to Opportunity Finder.

Like, I'm working on me.

Just go to the site.

It's, like, easy, go on there, click, look, and do your research.

>> All of the information you just said happened to you in the past couple of weeks.

That takes people years to get resources, and knowledge is everything.

And like you said, half of the -- some of the names you've just thrown out, we know the names, but had no idea of what those... >> And they're like in our community.

>> ...resources actually can be utilized for.

>> Right.

>> And who can utilize it.

>> Right.

So my next meeting with Ms. Patrice, I'm plan on, like, just getting the information on how to find out exactly how to help you get your Social Security.

So I'm excited about that, Mom.

You should be excited about that, too.

That's, like, gonna open up a lot of more doors for us.

And I feel like maybe getting a bigger house.

>> Oh, Lordy.

>> I could get a dog maybe.

>> No.

>> Because that's the closest you're gonna get to a grandchild.

[ Laughs ] >> Oh.

♪♪ >> So it was nice catching up with Patrice.

>> All the hard work that we have done, she was so over the moon over it.

>> Yeah.

So Patrice told us to go check out this Opportunity Coach.

"Opportunity Coach, start your journey to a happier, healthier financial life.

We will help you to decode your financial life and help you crush your financial goals.

At your current level of spending, how long could you afford to cover all of your expenses?"

>> Less than a week.

>> "I am currently debt free.

I have some debt, but it feels like it's under control.

I have a good amount of debt and it feels like too much."

And "I have too much debt."

The Opportunity Coach is asking, like, basic information, and then it starts asking questions about how we feel about the financial aspects of our life and managing money.

"How confident are you that you are currently doing what is needed to meet your long-term financial goals?

>> I mean, after we we spoke with Miss Patrice, I feel moderately confident, so... >> "Congrats, you have finished your Financial Health Assessment Survey.

Reward unlocked.

By completing the badge, you've unlocked 100 bonus points and reached level two."

>> It's like a video game.

You level up, you earn badges, you earn points, and having that little fun aspect to it kind of makes it more exciting, more enticing to use and learn and to just make you feel good, that you are making steps and you're not just kind of stagnant.

>> It looks like we have a daily routine now.

>> Yeah, we'll take care of it every day.

Oops.

>> Come on, Ty.

>> Go in.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> All right.

>> Oh, here we go.

>> All righty.

You know, when you graduate, you're cooking?

>> No.

>> Oh, yeah.

I'm glad that Louis told us to get on the ball with touring colleges for our daughter because I'm excited to tour the Seattle Culinary Academy with my daughter, Jailyn.

>> Hi, Jailyn.

I'm Aimee LePage.

It's so great to meet you.

>> So great to meet you, too.

Nice to meet you.

>> Welcome.

>> This is something that she wants, and we're going to see what it looks like.

>> So I'm going to show you the first quarter kitchen.

This is where culinary students come.

They've never been in culinary school before.

Most of them have never set foot in a restaurant as far as work goes.

>> Wow.

>> And, so, they spend pretty much, like, 11 weeks here just learning about how to cook, how to set up their kitchen.

It's a lot of the foundational work.

So, yeah, come on in and check out what the students are doing.

>> Watching Jailyn, I couldn't be more proud.

The excitement on her face, she was intrigued.

She was paying attention as we was touring.

>> So here we are going into the back line for third quarter.

>> Okay.

>> This is where a lot of the food that gets served at Square One Bistro is produced.

We've got some cool things like a pasta extruder.

>> Wow.

>> I'm getting real hungry walking through these kitchens because I'm watching this food be made and the smells of them.

It's overload.

It was real hard to keep my hands in my pockets as we were passing the stations.

I'm just ready to eat now.

>> This is the front of house for third quarter.

So what you first saw in first quarter, like, that's all of the students that just started the program.

So they go through as a cohort.

Now when they're in their third quarter together, they've been working together already for between six and nine months.

For a lot of our students, this is the first time they're actually cooking for paying customers in the public.

This gives the students the chance to work at a station, like in a real restaurant style.

They get what we call their reps, so they get to make something over and over again.

>> Okay.

>> With the sense of urgency like with waiting customers and tickets coming in on the ticket counter.

>> Yeah.

Okay.

>> Mm.

All right.

>> Do you want to grab a seat so that I can answer any questions you have?

>> Oh, sure.

>> Okay, great.

So this is our main dining room.

So we have students sitting for projects today, but we're also open to the public.

>> Okay.

>> So now that you've seen the actual kitchens in the program, I wanted to share with you what it actually looks like on paper and what it means for a degree.

>> Okay.

>> And, so, this is for you to take with you today.

But here you can see students go through in what we call a lockstep program.

So you're with a cohort of students and you basically go through every quarter together.

So the folks you start with are the folks that you graduate with.

>> Oh.

>> This is really great.

We've had students that have graduated and gone on to open businesses together... >> Wow!

>> ...form partnerships.

And then, everyone's fun part, what the program looks like in terms of cost.

>> All right.

>> This is obviously not paid up front.

So students do pay on a quarter-to-quarter basis.

Ends up being right around $2,200 to $2,500 per quarter.

>> Okay.

>> Yeah.

And then, from there it can get broken down into payment plans.

>> All right.

Oh, yeah.

>> Thank you so much for coming in today.

>> Thank you.

>> And I look forward to hopefully welcoming you back here.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> Thank you.

>> To find your own opportunities, please visit opportunityknocks.net.

Next time on "Opportunity Knock$"... >> It's fantastic to see you.

How are the kids?

>> They're good.

>> How are you doing?

>> I'm doing really good.

>> I know that you were living paycheck to paycheck and making kind of a very difficult time making ends meet.

>> She has slowed down on the online shopping because she has big goals.

And what do you think she told me, why she has to pull it together?

>> I don't know.

What?

>> The guidance that you've given us was so amazing.

>> Oh, thank you.

>> We can be that example of success for the people that are a part of our community.

>> Major funding for "Opportunity Knock$" is provided by the National Council for Financial Opportunities, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing poverty and creating economic mobility by breaking down systematic barriers, increasing equitable access to capital, and making opportunity accessible to all.

Its programmatic areas of focus include financial resiliency, financial accessibility, and income adequacy.

Additional funding provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation, which seeks to strengthen historically marginalized communities by investing in pathways to economic advancement and generational wealth.

Additional funding for "Opportunity Knock$" provided by Balance... and Callahan & Associates.

♪♪ ♪♪