Daily Inspiration: Meet Luisa Alberto

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luisa Alberto.

Hi Luisa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve worked in the food and beverage industry since I could work. I loved making delicious things and making people happy, so it was a win-win. I decided to go out on my own after years of working closely with very successful visionaries such as the founder of Blue Bottle Coffee and Good Eggs. I opened a juice shop with a close friend, making each juice to order with seasonal organic ingredients like buddha’s hand citron and persimmon. It was a labor of love. I learned the hard way that small businesses running on love alone aren’t likely to make it. The cost of doing business, servicing debt and taking up space in a prestigious location like the San Francisco Ferry Building meant not paying myself and ultimately ended in a broken relationship and bankruptcy.

I’ve always been resilient and had a knack for optimizing less than ideal situations. So I put these two things to work and learned everything I could about personal and business finance. I took courses, worked part-time as a bookkeeper, asked every CPA I knew too many questions, and eventually climbed out of the financial hole I had dug for myself. Now, I spend my days showing others what is possible. I leverage my skills & experience as a money coach for entrepreneurs, showing passionate people who love what they do how to build a business around a life they love; and avoid huge missteps, like the ones I made on my journey.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am a former hustler. I have always had more than one job; barista, Lyft driver, bookkeeper, personal assistant. My time and attention was always divided. And, looking back, I see this as the error of my ways. Had I just focused all of the energy and heart I had into one thing that I cared deeply about (as I’m doing now) I may have found happiness and contentment a lot sooner.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a money coach for entrepreneurs who excel at what they do but feel held back by their relationship with money. I show my clients what’s possible, where their blind spots are, and how to care for the money they have so they can welcome more of it into their lives. For entrepreneurs and small business owners, money is a critical part of personal and professional life. If you suck at managing money in one or the other, both are at risk. I unravel the relationship between the two and help my clients create systems and structures that support both. This is critical. You can’t focus on one without the other. I am most proud of the personal relationships I develop with those I serve. I care deeply about their success and whether they’re enjoying life.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Resilience. For any entrepreneur, it’s about how quickly you get back up after being knocked down. It’s about how quickly you make decisions and pivot when something isn’t working. And once you figure out what truly gets the people you serve the best results, it’s about mastering the art of serving as many people as you possibly can.

Contact Info:

• Email: connect@highfivesf.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highfivesf
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highfivesf

Image Credits
Sarah Deragon