Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Elinsky.
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
I definitely did not take the normal path to get to where I am today. I started out as a nontraditional college student commuting back and forth to school every day. I worked full-time, actually more than full-time upwards of 50-60 hours per week while obtaining my bachelor’s and master’s degrees taking anywhere from up to eighteen credit hours of coursework at a time. Nobody was holding my hand; nobody was showing me the way. My journey was entirely self-navigated. Most nights I would come home from work and cry because after working 8-10 hours during the day, I still had 4 hours’ worth of homework in front of me just to get up again in the morning and do it all over. I was exhausted but I was determined. Having not come from privilege, I know what it’s like to work hard and earn every cent of every dollar I make. I knew what sacrifice looked like at 18 years old and I was not afraid of it. I remember Skyping with my friends while I was at work simultaneously doing homework at midnight watching them party in their dorm rooms. I was jealous, wishing I could go party with them and not have to work 60 hours a week while going to school. But, in my heart, I knew that someday I would have a better life and that kept me hungry. It kept me going every day.
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
My whole life can be categorized in two words: growing pains. I have always grown. I have always continuously climbed up the mountain never looking back to where I was before and never sliding backward downhill. I have a “sink or swim” mentality. I did not have a lot of choices growing up. College was not a hot topic during my upbringing. I was expected to marry, have children, and raise them as a stay-at-home mom. Knowing that I did not fit that stereotype exactly, I was hungry for more but had not the slightest idea how to achieve any of my dreams. I was not the smartest kid in grade school, far from it. In fact, I was always placed into the lower classes. But as a young adult, something changed in me. I was determined to make all of my dreams come true, but I knew the cost. I knew I would not be able to go out and party with the other 20 somethings. I had to sacrifice, I had to suffer, I had to suck it up, I had to bite the bullet, and I had to get er done. I wanted to rise above my circumstances so that I could show other young kids and teens like me that anything was possible if you believe in yourself.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
I own two growing and profitable companies today. But for the sake of this interview, we will focus on my company Empower Human Potential, LLC. Empower Human Potential is an outsourced HR firm specializing in Corporate Coaching, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, Career Development, and Group Training. I am a trained Executive Coach and have built my practice from the ground up with nothing short of patience and grit. As a Coach, I am a great listener, entirely empathetic, and non-judgmental. I do not judge people, I stopped doing that years ago. I meet my clients right where they are. I have coached individuals from all over the world (over 15 different countries) and anyone from a recent college grad to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and everyone in between. My coaching style is centered on adult learning theory, positive psychology, and cognitive theory whereby I take my clients on a journey to personal excellence and self-actualization whatever that means for them. My coaching is customized to each client according to her or his unique needs. Taking a genuine interest and personal investment in each client, I will help propel personal and professional growth in all aspects of life while consistently challenging perspectives.
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
My best piece of advice to find success in your life is to stop being afraid. Fear is crippling. Fear is contagious. Fear does nothing for the mind except block it, confuse it, and limit it. You need to stop being so afraid of everything and live fearlessly. Be brave. Take calculated risks. Spend your money to pursue your dreams and do not waste it on mindless material possessions that you could only get $0.50 for at a garage sale. Lastly, do not be afraid of sacrifice. Put on your armor and get ready to fight your inner demons. You are your own worst enemy. Stop caring about what other people think of you, they have their own troubles and their own life to live. Shift your focus from what others think to what is best for you.
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
Success has nothing to do with money or material gains. Success lives in the mind alone. Success is defined differently for each individual according to her or his unique needs, hopes, desires, wishes, and goals. Define your own success. Set your own goals. Once you attain them, set new goals, and keep reaching higher. Success is the journey, the process, not the result. The end result is the reward, but success is in the pain.
What’s next for you?
Growing and scaling both businesses into the New Year.
Continuing to change lives for the better.
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more.
You can contact me by phone at 440-812-1612
Email team@empowerhp.org
Website www.empowerhp.org
LinkedIn Alexandra Elinsky