Destyni Dindy has always dreamed big. That’s why she was able to turn a small loan into a life-changing opportunity for herself and her community. 

Dindy knew the risks of borrowing when she first took out a payday loan for $1,210: high fees, short repayment terms, and sky-high interest rates that can trap borrowers in a debt cycle if they can’t repay on time. 

But she saw the challenge as an opportunity — and she was right.

Small-dollar loans, sometimes called short-term loans or payday loans, help people cover urgent bills until their next paycheck, though they come with high interest rates. Like Dindy, most borrowers repay within six months, but costs can add up quickly if they don’t. Some lawmakers want to cap interest rates at 36%, but this could shut down lenders, since higher rates are needed to cover the risk of lending to people with bad or no credit.

“You don’t want any of the penalties,” Dindy said. “If you’re aware of what you need and only that, then I think these options are great.”

As a preacher’s child and the eldest sister to three older brothers, Dindy grew up surrounded by determined male role models. Her family has always been athletic, she said, so naturally Dindy decided to pursue sports as well. She played basketball in college and studied kinesiology. 

Dindy eventually earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of South Florida in 2020, relocated to Nashville for an intership, and then eventually moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 2021. However, the job market she entered had been stunted by COVID-19 lockdowns. Suffice it to say, fitness wasn’t considered “an essential job,” she added.

Though she secured a seasonal job at Amazon in the fall of 2021, it wasn’t enough to cover the deposit and rent at the apartment she hoped to live in, along with her car payments and other living expenses. Like many Americans, Dindy decided to take out a small dollar loan, also known as a payday loan, which allowed her to quickly put down a security deposit and move into a safer apartment.

“That just kind of helped me jumpstart the process of getting back on my feet for sure,” Dindy said. 

Soon thereafter, Dindy secured a job at a local sports training facility, D1. 

Though she started teaching classes, she found a niche in personal training. But just as her clientele was beginning to grow, Dindy’s boss announced he was selling the gym. 

Dindy said she saw the sale as an opportunity to start at ground zero and build her own personal training business. One loyal client graciously invested in Dindy’s future –– giving her access to his garage to turn it into a gym.

With a location secured, Dindy began researching Facebook Marketplace and other resale options for gym equipment. She could still pay the bills while wrapping up her work at D1, but to go “100%” on her personal training business, Dindy had to take out another small-dollar loan. This allowed her to invest in the basics –– a bench, barbell, dumbbells, and more. And as a result, Dindy was able to finally go independent.

Now, Dindy trains 30 clients weekly, helping them get in the best shape possible. She proudly reflected on the tangible differences her business has made in her clients’ lives. 

“I have the stay-at-home moms that drop the kids off in the morning, then come to their gym session, and you can tell it’s more than just getting healthy for them; it’s helping them mentally too, seeing that they can get off blood pressure medicine because they’ve been exercising more and they’ve taken hold of their eating habits,” Dindy said.

But with great power comes great responsibility. Dindy admitted she initially feared not being able to make her loan payments and struggled with “interest rates out of the wazoo.” But she said she realized that with a thoughtful game plan to pay the loans back, “it’s more than ideal to get it if you need it.”

As a small businesswoman, Dindy said she could see herself owning her own gym in the future — one that prioritizes holistic health and wellness.

“I would love to be able to have a facility that has an in-house physical therapist and in-house nutritionist,” she said. “The body is infinite in what we can do and accomplish. I think it’s important to know that we can push beyond our limits and be better than the norm and the standard.”

Moreover, Dindy believes that by going independent and taking out and paying back her small loans, she gained an opportunity to mature and learn to manage her money.

It started with a loan to live safely and securely. But Dindy’s story proves financial access for those in need can make a big difference when paired with determination and pragmatism.