Introduction and Welcome
Taryell Simmons: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another episode of Rise Urban Nation. It is your host Taryell Simmons and I have a special guest in the building today, Mr. Bob Hunter. How are you today, sir?
Bob Hunter: Hey everyone, I am doing wonderful today. How are you?
Taryell Simmons: I am doing pretty good. Where are you joining us from today?
Bob Hunter: I am in Atlanta, Georgia.
Taryell Simmons: Good old ATL. I love it. I remember the Waffle Houses and eating good food. Any places you recommend as your favorite eating place?
Bob Hunter: I am a bit of a foodie. I would have to say the Ticonderoga Club. That is where I would go.
Taryell Simmons: I am going to put that on my to-do list. I am a foodie too, so I like getting recommendations. For those who haven't had the pleasure of meeting you, who is Bob Hunter?
Bob Hunter: The Bob you are talking to today is the CEO of Oxford Pierpont and its subsidiaries. We do business development, and our newest brand is My Business Credit at https://mybusinesscredit.com. This Bob is the finance guy who has been helping new businesses get financed—the guy who sells money.
Pivoting During the Pandemic and Founding My Business Credit
Taryell Simmons: How did you get into this business? Was it something you researched, or did you fall into it?
Bob Hunter: The pandemic forced me into this because we almost did not survive at Oxford Pierpont. Our primary business had been business development and marketing since 2016. We niched down into attorneys and mortgage companies like Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, LoanDepot, and Fairway. When the pandemic hit, courts closed and attorneys paused their services. By June 2020, things were getting worse. So the solution was, if everyone needs money, let us figure out how to get people money. With PPP and EIDL programs happening, everyone was focused on business cash flow. That is how we started business financing in June 2020. Going into 2023, we now have two brands, including My Business Credit, dedicated to small and medium businesses seeking under one million dollars. It helps people who are still establishing the basics, such as obtaining an EIN.
Taryell Simmons: I love that pivot. Every entrepreneurial journey goes through a pivot at some point, or else you end up like Blockbuster.
Bob Hunter: Exactly.
Taryell Simmons: How did you learn this business along the journey? Did you use books or mentorship?
Bob Hunter: There are many resources for learning commercial loan brokering and how to package loans. We were a marketing company first, so our initial objective was connecting businesses to funding through third parties. By the end of 2023, we are building relationships with 209 individual lenders to directly provide funding and remove middlemen. In the short term, we match clients with the best lender for their needs.
The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Embracing Failure
Taryell Simmons: What has been the best thing about entrepreneurship in your journey?
Bob Hunter: People often romanticize entrepreneurship, thinking it is a quick race to quit a job and be your own boss. In reality, it is a marathon with many laps, and many people fail due to poor preparation. The best part has been the personal strength it has given me. Overcoming the ramen noodle diet, living payroll to payroll, and going client to client gave me resilience. Surviving those challenges is the biggest takeaway.
Taryell Simmons: How do you deal with difficult business news that directly affects you or your employees?
Bob Hunter: I have thoroughly embraced the concept of failure. In school, you receive lessons upfront and then take a test. In life and business, you take the tests first and learn lessons through failure. Having that mindset makes you adaptable and flexible. When the pandemic arrived, having experience allowed me to recognize when 90 days had passed and it was time to execute a pivot. Now, when global events occur, better planning prevents them from feeling like the end of the world.
Taryell Simmons: In the test, you learn key lessons that help you adapt. What advice would you give to people thinking about becoming entrepreneurs?
Core Advice: Credit, Planning, and Resilience
Bob Hunter: Number one, take care of your personal credit. There is an online narrative claiming an EIN alone lets you buy cars and secure loans. In reality, lenders will not work with you unless your business has established collateral and cash flow, or you provide a personal guarantee with a credit score of 680 or higher. Fix your personal credit before starting. Second, engage in proper planning. Utilize Google, find mentors, and hire consultants to identify pitfalls. Write a business plan to think through long-term strategy and ensure your business is not undercapitalized. Emotionally, prepare to see challenges through. Failure only happens when you stop trying. Thomas Edison found 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb; there is nothing wrong with getting things wrong as long as you survive and keep going.
Taryell Simmons: It is a marathon, not a sprint. You cannot fall so deeply in love with an initial idea that you refuse to pivot.
Bob Hunter: Exactly. Stay flexible with your ideas because customer demand and sales channels may differ from your initial expectations. While the journey is difficult, finishing it brings huge rewards. You gain complete freedom over your time, work location, and schedule. Money enables you to help people, but you cannot help anyone if you are broke.
Taryell Simmons: That aligns with my philosophy of building a business that fits your desired lifestyle rather than working 40 hours for someone else.
Bob Hunter: Exactly. When starting, you might work 80 to 100 hours a week without pay to reinvest in growth, but you gain that time back later.
Inspirations, Mindset, and Pricing Strategy
Taryell Simmons: If you could meet any entrepreneur dead or alive, who would it be?
Bob Hunter: Nikola Tesla. I would love to experience his thought process and knowledge firsthand.
Taryell Simmons: Is there such a thing as work-life balance for an entrepreneur?
Bob Hunter: I am the wrong person to ask because I do not have balance. I sleep four hours a night and have done so for five years, which is unhealthy. I am still figuring that out.
Taryell Simmons: Would you ever retire, and where?
Bob Hunter: Retirement traditionally means living financially stable without needing to report to a job. For entrepreneurs who control their work, traditional retirement can lead to boredom. My goal is having the freedom to do what I want and walk away from burdens without consequences, whether consulting, giving speeches, or traveling internationally.
Taryell Simmons: How do you keep business spending targeted and on track?
Bob Hunter: First, ensure your offerings are priced correctly. Do not compete on price; getting higher-paying clients takes similar effort to cheaper ones, and budget clients often present more problems. A standard model is a 300 percent markup: calculate your cost of goods sold and multiply by three. That covers taxes, team costs, and product fulfillment while maintaining healthy margins. Combine that with long-term budgeting to hit multi-year goals.
Team Building, Daily Routines, and Overcoming Health Crises
Taryell Simmons: Does networking play a big factor in securing ideal clients?
Bob Hunter: I am introverted and prefer technical creation behind a computer. However, I partner with people who excel at networking, like my friend Joe Bradley from Upper Echelon Bartending. A symbiotic team where each member contributes distinct strengths—technical skills, networking, finance, or operations—drives mutual success.
Taryell Simmons: What does a typical day look like for Bob Hunter?
Bob Hunter: I manage three companies. I sleep at midnight and wake up at 4:00 AM. From 4:00 to 5:00 AM, I listen to the BBC World Report and track overnight European and Asian markets. At 5:00 AM, I listen to NPR to analyze economic trends and CPI data. By 8:00 AM, staff arrive and we coordinate staffing agency operations and Oxford Pierpont Capital. Client sales and service run until 4:00 PM. From 5:00 PM to midnight, I focus on technical build-outs and deep work.
Taryell Simmons: What are your predictions for Fed policy and interest rates?
Bob Hunter: I predict stabilization around March. As CPI numbers cool down and wage pressure normalizes, interest rates should level out and bring stability back to the market.
Taryell Simmons: Do you prefer bootstrapping or raising money?
Bob Hunter: Raising money is the proper approach. Fix your credit, build a business plan, validate proof of concept, and secure seed and venture funding. Bootstrapping is possible when necessary, but raising capital avoids unnecessary hardship.
Taryell Simmons: What was your career background and first job?
Bob Hunter: My first job was at Six Flags at 15. Later, I served as Director of Operations Development for a printer manufacturer in Atlanta. While comfortable, sickle cell complications caused me to lose vision in one eye, leading to job loss. That crisis forced me to launch Oxford Pierpont. My first client paid $5,000 monthly, but when their budget ran out, I had no pipeline. I rebuilt from $50 logos up to four-figure marketing packages.
Taryell Simmons: What life lesson guided you through that recovery?
Bob Hunter: Just keep swimming, like Dory in Finding Nemo. When struggling, persistence is what carries you through until things work out.
The Impact of AI and Free Resources on My Business Credit
Taryell Simmons: What advice do you have for someone entering staffing, marketing, or financing?
Bob Hunter: Focus genuinely on helping people solve problems. Delivering real value builds loyal clients and organic word-of-mouth referrals.
Taryell Simmons: What does the future look like for your industry?
Bob Hunter: AI tools like ChatGPT from OpenAI are fundamentally changing workflows. Tasks like drafting job descriptions, creating SEO articles, and writing code can now happen in seconds, boosting productivity across all operations.
Taryell Simmons: What current projects are you working on and where can listeners connect?
Bob Hunter: Visit https://mybusinesscredit.com. We provide free resources to help entrepreneurs build business credit without expensive paywalls, including our vendor directory and credit card qualification guides.
Taryell Simmons: Any final words of wisdom before we wrap up?
Bob Hunter: Fix your personal credit and aim for a 680 credit score. That foundation opens doors to funding and simplifies every business opportunity.
Taryell Simmons: Start with your personal credit and connect with Bob Hunter. Thank you for tuning into Rise Urban Nation.
Bob Hunter: Thank you, and goodbye everybody.
