Corissa Hernandez is the co-founder and visionary of Legacy Full Circle Financial & Insurance Services, The Empire Tavern, House of Xelas, and Nativo HLP.
Here’s her story . . .
Where It All Started
Life as a first gen kid meant I had to navigate most of my schooling and entrepreneurship alone. Now, I’m dedicated to sharing my lessons learned with other spirited entrepreneurs to inspire, educate, and uplift everyone with big ambitions.
A New Vision
Growing up, my family was supportive, but lacked the education to help me accomplish my dreams. It taught me to be resolute, solution-oriented, and resourceful. I attended Cal Poly Pomona for my Undergraduate degree, studying sociology and gender, ethnic, and multicultural studies. After college, I worked with at-risk youth in communities in California, and in 2004, started UCLA’s education program to become a teacher. Teaching was how I discovered my own knack for helping people tap into their talents and go after their dreams.
While teaching, I saw the 2008 market crash devastate hard-working, deserving people — including my own family. I became determined to educate myself on preventing financial disasters, and got licensed as a financial advisor. Soon, I was working as a teacher by day, and financial literacy educator by night. In that work, I saw an incredible need for adult financial education, and founded Legacy Full Circle in 2008 alongside my Husband, Gabriel. Since then, we have been the most diverse, fastest growing agency in the nation.
A Family Business
In our free time, Gabriel and I worked to fulfill our dream of opening our own bar. In that first business together, we made every rookie mistake in the book. We were a young brown couple with big dreams, but no access to mentors who could’ve helped us avoid common pitfalls. Failing our way forward, we opened our next business, a retail beer and bar establishment, Xelas. It was successful, and showed us that our community wanted to celebrate itself in spaces reflective of its identities. We soon opened a second restaurant, Nativo, only to be faced with the pandemic.
Once again I was reminded of the lack of resources, education, and knowledge shared within communities of color. We felt so alone researching loans and government assistance, and became impassioned to knowledge-share within our communities. Navigating a pandemic in one of the most severely impacted industries required a fighting spirit, creativity, and kick-ass teams. Our survival is a testament to the immigrant spirit we inherited from those before us.
Building a Legacy
In 2022, I launched a business consultancy to provide resources and coaching to aspiring entrepreneurs. Throughout my journey, I’ve seen firsthand the need for mentorship and knowledge-sharing. I’m working to make it happen by sharing my own experiences with the triumphs and heartbreaks of business, in a system that makes it all the more difficult for spirited entrepreneurs like me.
Questions?
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