Meet Elisa Estrera | Business & Marketing Strategist, Emotional Alchemist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elisa Estrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elisa, what is the most important factor behind your success?
My version of success is more than just having lots of money. Success is having financial sustainability with joy and fulfillment – no compromises. I’ve been down both roads, either only having money or only having fulfillment. Then I started realizing that the successful people I admire had both. So why not me, too?

What brings me joy and fulfillment? Living in integrity with my values – freedom, play, growth and empowerment – and that is the secret sauce of my success. Sounds simple, but it was definitely a journey coming to this knowing. Intentionally defining my values, and being able to articulate them with conviction took at least 4 years of working with a mindset coach, plus all the time I spent meditating, reading self-development books, watching TED Talks, attending seminars, etc…I’m kind of a self-development junkie.

I pursue projects and find clients that align with my values whether they know it or not. All this clarity came through trial and error, and tons of reflecting. I am still learning, still refining and clarifying how I live my values with each project I take.

For instance, I took on a client who really wanted to grow their business, and use Facebook to get a bunch of new customers. However, this client hated Facebook with a passion and did the bare minimum to have a digital presence on any social media. There would be growth, but no joy or play in the process. Let the end justify the means, even if it means being annoyed the entire time?!

That was a big red flag. But as an eager marketer, I wanted to take on the challenge even though I knew there were better routes to customers that didn’t involve Facebook. Unfortunately, it was the wrong challenge to take because of the conflicting energies: use Facebook even though the client disdains it. Long story short, we didn’t hit our goal, the client was upset and asked for a refund. That sucked, but no surprise there.

On my end, I wasn’t living my value of empowerment. I could’ve pushed back on Facebook and insisted on the marketing strategy that was more aligned to the client. Or I could have walked away from the client, and said I’m not the right marketer for you. Good thing I value growth because that was quite the learning experience and emotional rollercoaster.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Businesses come to me when they feel overwhelmed or at a loss with marketing. They aren’t sure if all their effort is bringing in quality customers. They usually don’t have someone dedicated to marketing so I serve as their interim Head of Marketing. You can call me a business and marketing consultant, and my consulting business is Gratefruit – a portmanteau of grateful and fruitful.

Every business and marketing consultant has their opinion of what strategy is best to grow a business. My favorite growth strategy is to inspire customers to be raving fans and refer my client’s business. What that looks like varies per client, but some examples could be new branding, new messaging, better positioning, launching a new service, relaunching the website, creating a new community through events, developing a referral program, etc… I’m like an orchestra conductor for businesses: I keep the big picture in mind and call in the right people at the right time to deliver what the business needs in that moment.

I’m most proud about my ability to identify what style of marketing is most authentic to my client. Getting to know their customers, their journey, their motives and how they develop trust in the company excites me. I love incorporating personality tests and my studies in psychology. It’s amazing to see how the business transforms once the client gives themselves permission to break away from trends and rule of thumbs to focus on marketing in a way that’s natural to them. For instance, some of my clients aren’t active on social media, but have a steady stream of referrals. While some clients are still involved in numerous marketing efforts, marketing feels almost effortless because they’re acting in alignment with their true nature.

I’m a strong believer that the business is a reflection of its leader. The business is where it is today because it has evolved with me as I learned more about myself. I had a cool business plan and strategy to kickstart consulting, and it only took 6-months for that to fall apart because I truly didn’t know what I wanted. The only thing I knew was that I had try something, anything. And to get started right away. For the first 3 years of consulting, I took whatever project came my way that was somewhat related to my work experience: coaching, user experience design, product launches, advertising and beyond. All of them were out of my comfort zone, and I have the white hair to prove it. With each project, I had to adjust my services, the scope of my work, how much I needed to charge, my processes, way of communicating. Basically, my way of being. It was a clumsy cycle of do, learn, adjust. It was a daily practice of courage to put myself out there and overcome the fear of failure and criticism.

Fortunately, I was wise enough to not go it alone and immersed myself in amazing communities. I joined a mastermind of entrepreneurs led by a fantastic coach who kept me accountable to my goals, and to the mindset to achieve those goals. I studied under a Tai Chi and Qigong master to learn how to meditate to find balance physically, mentally and emotionally. I learned to be curious instead of judgmental when things weren’t going my way. I learned how to ask for help and leverage other people’s strengths. I learned that I love being in an intimate community and that’s how I best network. I learned to recognize patterns in my thoughts and actions. I’m learning that vulnerability is actually empowering, and builds trust and intimacy. I’m learning that self-worth is at the root of net-worth. I’m learning that life is really about the journey, and finding joy in the process, in the present, in the becoming. Ironically, I learned to be grateful and appreciative no matter the situation after I named my business.

I want the world to know that business and marketing is not a one-size fits all. Not everyone needs to jump on what’s trendy like posting to TikTok everyday, unless that’s something that you truly enjoy. Being authentic, building genuine relationships and delivering an amazing customer experience are the best business strategies, especially if you value quality over quantity. Those strategies have withstood the test of time without fail.

Now that we’re in an era of being inundated with digital content and ads, it’s becoming harder to stand above the noise. Nurturing quality relationships isn’t just an advantage, it is the most sustainable way to thrive in business (and in life) regardless of the economy. I take great care in attracting the right clients because I’m very invested in their success and well-being. Not only do I refer them, but I trust them so much that I’ve also been their client.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love experiencing new places from a local’s perspective, so I tend to stray from major tourist attractions. Plus, I like to stay within a certain area since traffic makes it hard to go across town.

Surf in Malibu
Visit the Getty Villa
Lunch, dinner, dessert and groceries on Sawtelle Blvd – Tusjita LA, Marugame Udon, Big Boi, Nijiya Market

Take a dance class at Millennium Dance Studio
Watch a show at The Hollywood Bowl
Eat sushi at Yamashiro

Hike through the Hollywood neighborhoods leading up to Griffith Park Observatory
Watch a show at The Greek
Eat at Hoy-Ka Thai Noodle

Wander around Huntington Library in Pasadena
Have a drink at the Langham and/or bar hop through Highland Park
Eat at Zhengyalov Hatz in Glendale
Dessert at Porto’s

Go on a boba tour in Cerritos, and load up on Korean and Filipino snacks from local grocery stores
Bike along the San Gabriel River from Cerritos all the way to Seal Beach and indulge in aforementioned snacks
Dinner at Yantra Kitchen and explore the shops at Little India, Artesia

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kamille Taylor – my college classmate, friend, mindset coach and founder of The Ultimate LYFE. Her patience, love, support and uncanny ability to articulate what my heart can’t say has made a huge impact on me and my business.

She helped me get crystal clear on my values and shed light on the thought patterns that were/are holding me back from living my fullest everyday. Kamille is a beautiful example of practicing what she preaches. Just because she’s a mindset coach doesn’t mean that her life is perfect and she never experiences contrasting moments. Instead, she uses them as an opportunity to share her learnings with clients like myself. Her ability to be vulnerable in order to empathize and guide her clients is what really sets her apart.

Website: www.gratefruit.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litz_bitz/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estrera/

Image Credits
Lyka Gozon @lykscreatives Alana Bernstein @thatsbubby Anza Foto+Film @anzafotofilm