Today we’d like to introduce you to Corissa Sutton.
Hi Corissa, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story? How did you get to where you are today?
I began my professional career at 17, working at TCF Bank (The Huntington Bank) as an after-school job. I worked in the Item Processing Department, where I would process physical checks and return checks to the bank of first deposit for things like insufficient funds, stop payment, etc. I was the youngest person in the department at the time. I was skilled & easy to train–eventually by 19 years old, I was promoted to Lead/Assistant Supervisor. Also, at 19, I found myself pregnant with my oldest daughter and in a physically abusive relationship with her father for about 8 years. I found solace in working at the bank, caring for my daughter, and having a career. Although banking wasn’t my passion, it was something I had learned to do well and became very skilled at.
I went to college, got my Banking and Finance Certification, and moved to a larger bank (US BANK) with more opportunities for growth and advancement. There, I worked my way up the corporate ladder eventually landing a high-level position in the Financial Crimes Division of the bank, preparing suspicious activity reports and researching & documenting Fraud and Financial Crimes to the FBI.
The banking world taught me several skills, talents, abilities, and transferable skills that make me the powerhouse woman I am today! However, I can honestly say that even though I had “made it,” so to speak, by climbing the “corporate ladder.” I was still very much unfulfilled and unhappy in several ways. I have always been a “people” person.I love to help solve problems, provide solutions, and bring happiness to people in the best way I can. My joy often comes from seeing others happy or knowing they are better simply by something I did.
Which eventually led to a change in my career path a few years ago. After 20-plus years in banking, I decided to transition to the non-profit and self-employment sector, which led me to where I am today, as a single mom of 4 children, a CEO & business owner, and a non-profit contractor. Within the last few years, I have worked with non-profit organizations that are single-parent household-centered, domestic abuse and general crime-focused, and supportive/fair housing-centered. These have been some of the most fulfilling years of my life. In this work sector, I am making a difference in my community.
I have my Real Estate License in Minnesota, and I am a top-producing professional who uses her license to buy, sell, invest, and rent to own real estate. I also use my license to work, educate, and promote homeownership and generational wealth building. I affectionately call myself a “community member with a real estate license” because I use my license to make a difference in my community. I attend community events, pass out information, and host FREE informational sessions and consultations. Many of my clients are first-generation homebuyers, first-time homeowners, or Single-parent/woman households.
Many clients choose CSE because of our business mission and skills; some want to help a single-parent household by hiring me as their agent. I am the former Minneapolis NAACP Housing Chair, where I used my time to advocate for housing policies, promote rental empowerment, research discrimination, and assist renters during the eviction moratorium with Rent Help Pop-Ups in North Minneapolis. I am a current NAREB member and often volunteer as a Home Stretch instructor to teach First Time Home Buyer classes on weekends. I am more than my career, background, skills, wisdom, and aptitude. Everything I do is to make things better for those around me, my children, and my children’s children.
Everything impacts generations to come, and I am committed to making a difference any way I can.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is no such thing as a smooth road. I was made fun of, laughed at, and counted out. In this business, you will always experience some adversity. I can remember being told to “dumb it down” by my direct manager one time in the corporate world. I was never one to color inside the lines. I always wanted to stretch my limits and learn as much as possible to become an asset to my department and obtain as much knowledge as possible from every role I ever worked in. You see, as a woman and a minority, I have always wanted a high-level understanding of things because there were many times in my career when I was made to feel small, insignificant, and less than. Whether it was microaggressions, discrimination, or just a power trip, I knew that education, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding were something no one could take away from me. As the years went on, I eventually grew into my purpose, passion, and power. I learned to take up space unapologetically! No more making myself small to appease anyone. Now, I turn pain into power and encourage others to do the same!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Corissa Sutton Enterprises LLC (CSE), formally known as The Powerhouse Mom, is a proud minority woman-led real estate firm based in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul region, extending its services to the neighboring suburbs. With a core focus on serving individuals and families, CSE specializes in buying, selling, investment strategies, and rent-to-own options for homes. At the heart of our mission lies a commitment to uplifting the community by promoting homeownership. We aim to pave the path for our clients’ brighter, self-sustained future through empowerment, education, and unwavering support.
Our brand’s mission is to empower, educate, and promote generational wealth opportunities through homeownership for individuals, families, single-parent households, and communities of color. We seek to bridge the housing gap, empower renters, create affordable housing opportunities, and improve housing equality across the Metropolitan Area.
Our core areas are Self Empowerment, Pathways to Homeownership, Buy, Sell, Invest, Rent to Own, New /Agent Consulting + Coaching, and Speaking Engagements + Empowerment. In January 2024 – CSE hosted our 2nd annual Vision Board party – Homeownership Style at Emerge Mothers Academy, sponsored by Bell Bank. We had so much fun planning, manifesting, and preparing to be homeowners. In January 2024 – I won an award for Top Producing Bronze Agent at my brokerage, Keller Williams Premier Realty!
With that said, I am most proud of our CSE: Single Moms Initiative – Single Moms Cohort launching soon! It is an empowerment platform utilizing coaching and solutions designed to strengthen and empower single moms and mompreneurs. We use programs such as Self Empowerment & Pathways to Home Ownership to validate, illuminate, and bring opportunities to women who are overcoming obstacles, facing hardships & losses. Corissa Sutton Enterprises believes strongly in the “CSE – Trickle Down Impact,” which is our concept that if we uplift and support a (single) mom, the benefits of that support will trickle down to the children. CSE is an empowerment platform that encourages Single Moms and Mompreneurs to operate in their most authentic version. Our waitlist is now open! Please visit our website to learn more.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is playing outside until the street lights came on, riding bikes and racing each other down the alley, playing red light green light, and making up Barbie games. All we had was our neighborhood friends & family. I loved going to the park and sliding down the metal slides. They were often so hot cause the sun had baked them. We would put sand at the bottom of the slide to cool us off when we made it to the end. The other memory that makes me so happy is the sound of the ice cream truck ringing its bell, notifying all the kids that cold treats were in the area! I would run to get change from my piggy bank or beg my parents for one dollar. Those were the days!
Contact Info:
- Website: CorissaSuttonEnterprises.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@corissasuttonenterprises
- Other: www.corissasutton.com
