Behind the Scenes: Investors, Founders & Fresh Starts

Subject: Late Summer Recap + Exciting New Podcast Co-Host 🌞🎙️🐎

What. A. Season. ☀️🍾🐎

As we wind down summer (and slowly swap sandals for sweaters), I wanted to share a few behind-the-scenes updates and some very exciting news!

First up: Meet our fabulous new podcast co-host: Abigail Chavez, a neuroscientist currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. Yes, you read that right… we're bringing official neuroscience brainpower to This Investor Life! 🧠✨ Abigail brings a sharp, science-meets-strategy lens to the show — the perfect match for decoding what really drives founders, investors, and high-stakes decision-making.

Now, if you’ve noticed a little quiet from us this spring and summer — it’s been for all the right reasons. From scaling companies to curating fresh content, things have been busy behind the scenes. And yes, there were a few sun-soaked moments at the polo field to keep things balanced.

Speaking of polo… this summer marked my first-ever arena polo match. As someone who learned to play field polo, I was curious (read: skeptical) — but out here in Virginia, arena polo is the thing, with 10+ local teams and a loyal fan base. While I’ll always love the thrill of the field, arena polo is a solid (and stylish) stand-in.

P.S. If you’ve never been to a polo match — now’s the time to try! Most are free to attend, ultra family-friendly, and a perfect excuse to pack a picnic and wear something fabulous arena polo seems to include more themes for spectators. This past weekend at Twilight Polo in Middleburg was car show + polo (an epic night!)

Photo below is from my first ever arena polo night (my husband’s first ever polo match).

After a whirlwind spring, we hit pause for a few days and unplugged in Pebble Beach: the perfect West Coast escape to reset, recharge, and step away from the ever-on digital world. Sunsets, sea air, and zero screen time? Highly recommend. 🌊✨

Since returning, I’ve been laser-focused on scaling my main company, Ascend. We officially made the leap from founder-led sales to a full sales team — a big shift, but one that’s essential for long term growth.

And I couldn’t be more excited about who’s in the trenches with me: a rockstar team that includes a founder with two exits under her belt, a former Strategy& (PwC) consultant, and other brilliant minds leveling up how we serve growth-stage companies.

💼 Thinking of selling your company, raising capital, or finally launching a standout media campaign? Drop us a line at [email protected] — we’d be happy to connect you with the right resources.

Meanwhile, the podcast has quietly surged this summer… turns out, everyone is loving the real talk about mindset, deal flow, and what actually happens behind the scenes of building and backing great companies.

We heard you and we’re doubling down. Expect sharper stories, candid convos, and some fresh energy thanks to Abigail Chavez 🎙️ And yes — the podcast is stacked. We’re excited to bring you stories and insights from:

• A hedge fund manager with $10B+ AUM

• The founder of Adoption.com (who also sold a company to a major media company)

• Private equity pros, a billionaire or two, exited founders of startups you know and love

• And more than a few family offices ready to share how they really think about legacy, capital, and convictionI

  It’s giving deal flow, legacy, and behind-the-scenes brilliance. 💼✨

Speaking of expanding companies: With a recent co-founder add-on (Abigail Chavez) we’re officially bringing back Mission to Launch after a three-year pause.

So… what is Mission to Launch? 🚀
Think: a faith-driven answer to Masterclass. We offer practical, proven courses, an empowering community, and mentorship at scale — with over 200 course takers and close to 200 people in their dream careers including former ministry leaders turned real estate investors thanks to our courses (we’ve got the video testimonials to prove it).

We’ve lined up 30+ powerhouse mentors — from an NBA team owner, to the COO of UBS, to billionaires, Stanford PhDs, and Goldman Sachs partners — all excited to pour into the next generation of purpose-driven professionals.

If you’re a former missionary or ministry leader curious about joining the 500+ pre-launch waitlist or a successful founder who wants to give back without the 1:1 commitment — shoot us an email at [email protected] with the subject line: Mission to Launch.

See you in your earbuds soon,
Elena
This Investor Life with Elena 🎧

p.s. love hearing from you, please send your questions & stories on how This Investor Life has helped you ([email protected])