Leanne B. was ready to be a homeowner. Down payment in hand, she approached the mortgage officer at her local Cadence Bank in Winchester, Tennessee, ready to secure a mortgage.

“The mortgage officer pulled my credit and she immediately said, ‘I've got to help you out,’” Leanne recounted. Leanne was initially taken aback because she thought getting a loan would be straightforward. Today, she looks back at that conversation — and the introduction to Operation HOPE — and realizes that it was a life-changing moment for her.

Leanne’s new Financial Wellbeing Coach, Lester Watt, encouraged her to participate in the organization’s Credit and Money Management and Homeownership programs, where he worked with her to put this newfound knowledge into practice. Together, they completed a worksheet detailing her income and expenses in order to create a budget. At the same time, they sought to eliminate her debt in a way that felt manageable. For Leanne, that meant paying off the credit cards with the lowest balance first and then working her way up to tackling debt on the higher balance cards.

“Each time I got new information from Lester, he’d tell me, ‘So the next time we meet up, you need to have XYZ done,’ and that’s what I did. Every time we met, everything he asked me to do, I did it,” she said. Lo and behold, Leanne saw her credit score rise 121 points over 13 months. “When I say tremendous … it was tremendous, ” she said.

Speak Louder Than Words

At a time when purchasing a home is a stretch for most families, Leanne had confidence that she was on the right track to do so after Lester shared how he was able to achieve his financial goals personally.

“There's a commercial, and the slogan is, 'We actually live here.' And that's pretty much Operation HOPE. We're actually living this way." Lester was transparent when he said, "On Sunday it’s Mother's Day, so I’ll take my mom out, but Monday through Thursday, I'm taking my lunch from home."

While making home-cooked meals was discussed as a money-saving tool, it spurred conversations with Lester about what this one act could mean for living a meaningful life. “Slowing down and creating an atmosphere that makes you value home-cooked meals—it plays so much a part in daily living. It changed my life and my children’s, too,” said Leanne.

Soon, she was looking at all aspects of her finances and deciding whether her purchases brought her joy or whether she was just buying things out of habit. “Is this something that I need now, or is this something that I can do without?” was a question she found herself asking.

This wise approach to spending and managing debt gave Leanne a deep sense of contentment. “When your credit is good, you live better. You're not as stressed, and it relieves all these things to where you have a stability feeling,” she said.

While her income hasn’t changed, her mindset has, which has given her life purpose.

"When you are financially stable, you have a greater appreciation for what you have. Look, I have a roof over my head, the lights are on, most of my needs are met, so I like to see who I can take out to dinner. I may see someone who needs gas money or something, and I'm in a position where I can do it."

Leanne B.

In the summer of 2024, about 14 months since her first meeting with Lester, Leanne joyfully achieved her goal of homeownership. True to form, Lester continues to coach Leanne even though she has graduated from the Operation HOPE programs. “After closing on my new home, I did a review with Lester, and he told me not to go and buy furniture for every room straight away,” she laughed.

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

Operation HOPE is a national nonprofit that believes true prosperity is about more than just determination—it's about having the right tools, knowledge and guidance to navigate the complex world of finance. Its mission is to empower individuals and families with expert coaching and resources, unlocking pathways to economic opportunity and long-term security. Cadence has seven Operation HOPE counseling centers complete with financial planners or “coaches” at its branches in:

Mobile, AL
3290 B Dauphin Street

Pensacola, FL
4890 Bayou Boulevard

Gulfport, MS
2909 13th Street

Jackson, MS
1005 Ellis Avenue

Memphis, TN
1222 East Raines Road

Dallas, TX
1150 West Kiest Boulevard

Houston, TX
10100 Katy Freeway

This article is provided as a free service to you and is for general informational purposes only. Cadence Bank makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the content in the article. The article is not intended to provide legal, accounting or tax advice and should not be relied upon for such purposes.