Meet Michelle Elle” Peoples

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle “Elle” Peoples, MA, BCPA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle “Elle”, what matters most to you?
Authenticity! Who you see on screen is who I am off screen. I have to show up as myself everyday, whether it’s a good day or a bad day, you get me as I am.

I am at a place in my life where I am comfortable in my own skin, and I accept myself, my flaws, my failures, my lessons, my scars as proof that I am a living, breathing work in progress every single day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I spent 25 years in the medical field, 16 of which were in the Navy. The evolution of experiences over that time was ended abruptly in 2017 when I was medically retired. A series of injuries left me unable to continue to serve and BOOM – my career was over in an instant. I knew I had to go back to school, but I was utterly lost for 2 years. I mentally gave up because I had been thrown away. I almost became a statistic. I started walking dogs because that was the only way I knew I would get out of bed everyday and not be angry. So that is what I did for 18 months, I avoided people, and walked dogs.

Then, in December of 2019, I woke up one day and knew I was ready to move on. #dogtherapy

I realized I have this insane variety of skill sets and I had to be able to translate that into *something* and I went to grad school for Industrial & Organizational Psychology. This was the exact way to incorporate the administrative, clinical, business processes, team training, presentation, course creation, and strategy skills and earn a degree. I created my businesses during grad school, and used them for my projects, and have developed a relationship with my community.

I formed Legacy Credit Solutions, LLC to help individuals and families empower themselves through financial health and independence. I was the victim of identity theft early in my military career, and the military paid to send me to school to learn financial management strategies so I could bring that back to the unit. I performed free credit repair for years – in fact I had no idea people did this as a business model! I watched people lose their careers due to bad credit. I have seen women stay in abusive relationships because they did not have the credit or financial resources to get out on their own. I have seen seniors lose everything to scams. This was my opportunity to serve the people in the way that I was able.

Later, as a school project, I formed LCS Coaching & Consulting, LLC. LCS stands for “Listen. Coach. Serve.”

As part of the ongoing effort to revitalize our communities, we are dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs start their business, grow their team, or navigate through challenges so they can keep on doing what they do best! We offer back office management, HR resources, marketing, and one-on-one coaching.

Through those ventures, I met people whom I attended trainings with, and they were very interested in my extensive medical background, and they put me in front of audiences that could benefit from that knowledge. Within a couple weeks, I was traveling to speak at events for attorneys, debt counselors, and other credit repair organizations. I am recognized as the industry’s medical debt collection expert.

The moral of the story is every life experience is a lesson, and every lesson isn’t lost once you learn it. It could well be your stepping stone to the next chapter.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in a small corner of Illinois referred to as the Quad Cities, we border Iowa, and this is 3 hours from Chicago. Our local downtown community is in the throes of revitalization! My favorite coffee shop is Jaded Java, my favorite vegan food is from a food truck called Cocina Verde, and we have several spots to have a cocktail, like Whiskey Stop, Junior’s Sports Bar & Grill, Drunken Barrels, and Hey Bryans. We can hang out on the Mississippi River and rent jet skis from QC Jet Works, or we can listen to music at the outdoor concerts at Runner’s Park with East Moline Main Street. We can shop the local markets on main street, like The Craft Corner, Phat Bottom Labs, and Dona Vitae, We can get our hair done at Revival Mane East Moline. We have over 10 miles of bike trails, eagle watching, animal sanctuaries, museums, all within a 5 mile radius. This diverse little community has really captured my heart!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Whew… how much time do we have? My family is my life. My wife, TJ, has supported me through every step of this massive career shift from the military to grad school to entrepreneurship. She is my sounding board, my confidant, my cheerleader, and my best friend. She does this thing where she looks at me and says, “I am so proud of you, you’re a badass” and it makes me cry every time.

My Son, Kendon, is a total Rock Star. As a military kid, he has been dragged to the 4 corners of the Earth, moved from schools with friends, and has really had to overcome adversity in his life and he never loses his sense of compassion for people around him. He’s 19 and he still tells me he loves me, even if people are around and that keeps me going!

The family, and friends that became family along this journey of life – both in the military and in the business world – have each shaped me in their own way, and I am incredibly grateful for every experience – good, bad, or otherwise.

Website: https://mycreditlegacy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mycreditlegacy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellepeeps/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycreditlegacy

Yelp: NEVER

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZTxlBucOJkCD_oCq2NstSw/

Other: LCS FB: https://www.facebook.com/listencoachserve.elle LCS IG: https://www.instagram.com/elle_peeps/ Website: https://listencoachserve.com/

Image Credits
Living Local https://www.facebook.com/LivingLocalQC/ 12.7.21