Cory J. Chapman, Founder, CEO of What if, Inc. and Elite Financial Center, Inc.
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     Cory J. Chapman is uniquely qualified as a financial coach because he's a walking billboard of his own successful "What if?" brand. Long before he began asking his clients to consider "What if you changed your mindset?" he grew up posing that question to himself. His remarkable success story reveals a lifestyle of continually expanding his horizons rather than accepting defeat or stagnation.     

     From an early age, Cory's mother, a single-parent of three, encouraged her oldest son to embrace challenges with hope and resiliency. She also instilled a deep sense of responsibility into her son by consistently doing whatever it took to provide for her family, which sometimes included working multiple jobs.       

     Born in Brooklyn, Cory grew up on both coasts in Los Angeles and the South Bronx and he knew at an early age that we wanted the stability of financial freedom. It was during his early years in L.A. that his mother knew the best antidote to the gang violence that threatened many young black male children, was to provide a platform where Cory could turn adversity into opportunity. The self defense classes provided an avenue for developing discipline into his daily routine and served as a spring board for becoming an expert in martial arts. Cory, who holds a fourth degree black belt in tae kwondo and a third degree black belt in hapkido, founded the Elite Martial Arts Center for underprivileged children.

     As a teenager, Cory convinced his mother to let him move back to L.A. to finish school. Although family friends allowed him to stay under their respective roofs, he supported himself by working at fast food restaurants, newspaper vending, and even sold flowers on street corners. Remarkably, Cory graduated from high school at age 16 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy four months later after his 17th birthday.

      Initially the independent, self-reliant recruit had a hard time adjusting to the restrictions of not being in control of his own schedule and once aboard the USS Anchorage, Cory quickly learned that he was not born with sea legs. But ultimately, he not only adjusted to life at sea, Cory traveled around the world twice; excelling as a sea rescuer. He also quickly moved up the ranks and was eventually responsible for running an entire department.

     It was during this time that Cory clearly identified his passion to serve others. The military experience also taught him the value of incorporating structure into his daily his life. After four years, Cory decided not to reenlist but was honorably discharged as a 3rd class petty officer (E4 rank). Once out of the military, Cory turned his attention to pursing a career in law. His intent was to work first as a paralegal before going to law school. Rather than incurring school loan debt, Cory paid for his schooling while working full-time as a security guard. Soon Cory was hired by a large prestigious law firm but much to his chagrin, he learned that the law firm billed out his service as a paralegal at almost four times the rate of his actual salary.

     Rather than lamenting Cory turned his energy into finding a solution. It was then that he caught the entrepreneurial bug and hung out his own shingle and commanded an hourly rate commiserate to his former employer. This innate ability to think outside the proverbial "box" and to take calculated action has become a hallmark of Cory's recipe for success.

     Cory turned his attention to other entrepreneurial pursuits including working on both sides of the camera, as a model and photographer. While photographing a calendar, he met the love of his life, his wife and partner Delilah. After seeing his mother perpetually struggle to make ends meet, Cory knew that he wanted to provide a financially sound home for his wife and family. One day, he was struck by an article which reported that many Los Angeles stock brokers earned more than $100,000 annually. Immediately Cory enrolled in economic classes at UCLA and began seeking opportunities to break into the field. Undaunted with the fact that most L.A. stock brokers were college-educated, white Anglos over 50, Cory secured his insurance license. Then he began applying for a position, confident that he one of those doors would open.

     When a woman decided to take a chance on the enthusiastic candidate, the pressure to perform was on immediately. His pay was based solely on commission and on his first day on the job, he found that his desk space and a variety of other fees totaled over $2,000 per month; thus he was in in arrears to the company for which he worked on his first day on the job.

     Rather than being discouraged that he was the only black guy in an office of over 35 people, Cory saw the opportunity of reaching an untapped clientele. He worked tirelessly to learn the software program and he began to knock on doors of people whom he felt would relate to him. He began selling small policies in the black community and within his first year, even though he was selling small policies, he was the largest producer in the agency. Most of his clients had never saved money before and Cory was excited to sell them a product that would give them an opportunity to protect their families. Cory had made $100,000 by selling policies to 100 clients and he quickly learned that his success was the impetus behind new opportunities.

     As the top seller in the office, a vice president with his insurance company sought out a protégé for mentoring. Soon Cory Chapman was introduced into an entirely new way of conducting business where an agent could make $50,000 over an afternoon of golf at the country club. Once again, Cory was quick to change his mindset and expand his horizons. Shortly thereafter, his desire to better serve his clients led him to obtaining security designations and he began assisting clients in their financial planning goals. 

     After years of working for a brokerage firm, Cory stepped out on faith and opened his own financial firm in order to serve his clients better. Elite Financial Center, Inc. is an extension of Cory's unique brand to offer a one-stop financial center while empowering his clients to achieve financial success.     

     Cory's passion to empower his clients and his unique ability to think outside of the box in assisting them achieve their goals have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded Businessman of the Year for 2004 from the NRCC Business Advisory Council and he is a sought after key note speaker.  Designated "financial expert" on the reality show, "The Decision House" as he frequently talks about financial issues on radio station 94.7 The Wave in Southern California which currently boasts  1.3 million weekly listeners. He presently sits on the Mayor Advisory Board for the City of Inglewood, is a board member of People Coordinated Services, and chairs the minority business development program of Los Angeles.  He is also associated with Los Angeles Chapter of National Life and Underwriters Association, as well as Certified Financial Planners Association.

    Today, Cory Chapman has managed over 75 million dollars in assets and is the proud CEO of a financial center which can handle any financial situation that a client may have. Cory continues to serve others in all walks of life and fulfills his dream of helping others change their mindset to create the life they desire as well. With these dreams at the forefront Cory has founded a new company, What if, Inc., a financial education and coaching company whose mission is to change people's mind-set when it comes to realistically creating wealth. His decision to launch What If" Inc. builds on the success of EliteFinancialCenter by offering more individualized services.

     With his wealth team, he will take you to a new level of action to help you reach your peak potential by showing you exciting ideas that will create positive cash flow and instructing you how to protect all that you earn and pass it the most efficient way to your heirs. He and his team will empower you to make new choices that will help you achieve your desired goals.

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