Editor’s Note: To celebrate the launch of our new Ellivate Immersion: On Demand, we’re launching a spotlight series on the Immersion experience. We often hear from our members that they “didn’t feel ready” to take on Immersion or weren’t sure they needed it, only to come out the other side of the experience having completely transformed their businesses and selves. So, if you’re considering taking the plunge but aren’t quite sure, this Why Immersion series is for you!

Photo Credit: Leandra Blei

  

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur,

I was an Executive Assistant in corporate America for 20+ years in Silicon Valley at various companies like McKinsey & Company, Google, Facebook and Sony. Early in my career, I realized the work I was doing – removing all of the administrative tasks and projects from my executive’s plate – was directly contributing to their success.

I was very good at my job – to the point where I was viewed as more of a business partner rather than an “assistant.” But, corporate America always failed me. They had all of the control, and I resented that.

When I moved to Austin, Texas in 2014, I was still working in corporate America, but in a 100% remote position. I immediately got hooked on the freedom and flexibility of working from home. Then, when my last corporate job was eliminated, I decided to take on executive assistant work on a freelance basis and called it Exec Wranglers. Turns out, that’s called being a Virtual Assistant!

I discovered Ellivate Alliance through one of my first clients. At a first glance, based on the photos I saw on the website, it looked a little too “woo-woo” for me. I also had a suspicion that it might be like other networking groups where you are required to get people to sign up. But, I signed up for the newsletter anyway.

Then one day, Sarah Elliott reached out to me about the upcoming Ellivate Immersion in April 2019, and I thought, “Why not?” As a closet introvert, I loved that this program was 100% online, with scheduled office hours and mastermind meetings to keep me accountable.

I jumped in with an open mind and open heart and met some of the most incredible women. I learned more about myself in those two weeks than I had during the first 50+ years of my life. On top of that, Immersion gave me a blueprint for how to scale and grow my business. It was like getting an MBA, but a thousand times more affordable and far less time consuming! Afterwards, I joined the Ellivate Alliance community and continue to receive the ongoing support of an amazing network of women entrepreneurs.


  

Prior to my Ellivate Immersion, I felt like I was flailing around, picking up clients that were one-off projects or just not the right fit. When I completed Immersion, I had an amazingly clear vision of how to grow my business. Although, I didn’t change anything in my business right away…suddenly, as if by magic (#AIBM), 5 new clients appeared who were a perfect mutual fit for Exec Wranglers. Since then, I’ve added 10 Wranglers to my team, and my client list continues to grow rapidly!

I’m incredibly grateful for Ellivate Alliance, Ellivate Immersion, Sarah Elliott and every single woman in the Alliance – not only are they amazing entrepreneurs, they are also lifelong friends!

— Stephanie Loayza, Founder of Exec Wranglers

P.S. For the record, I found out that Ellivate is definitely not too “woo-woo.” As Sarah told me once, Ellivate is “a balance of spiritual + practical,” and it’s the perfect fit for me. 😉