New Year, No Limits

January seemed to go on forever due to the many heartbreaking events. If you know someone impacted by the fires in Los Angeles, please reach out. I have several friends who are helping on the ground, especially in assisting displaced families.

Some good news, I started this month by being interviewed by Financial Times. The article linked here was one of the cover stories today. It is a bucket list feature for all of my clients and definitely for me.

New Year, New Words

Instead of setting resolutions (only 25% of Americans keep resolutions), I have been utilizing a word (and saint) of the year generator for three years. Before the Financial Times reporter reached out to me, I had used Jen Fulwiler’s word of the year generator (linked in bold- before she was a comedian, Jen was a coder), which gave me the following - speak, hello and finish.

Within a week of receiving speak (for the second year in a row), a reporter contacted me on LinkedIn to interview me for her Financial Times article.

If you know me or have worked with me, I stress the importance of keeping your LinkedIn up to date; many reporters use it to find expert sources.

Missed Snow Polo in St. Moritz?

Same. This year we were unable to make our way to Europe to enjoy the most epic weekend in polo. It is probably tied for #1 spot as my favorite event to attend in Europe, tied with the ICE at St. Moritz (car show on a frozen lake).

Speaking of - The ICE at St. Moritz

If you haven’t had a chance to attend one of the best events in Europe (high praise because I also Love ball season), it is worth adding an impromptu item to your travel list this year. The ICE (February 21 & 22) is the most epic car event one could attend (above Pebble Beach, which has become oversaturated). Even if you despise cars or see them as a point A to B - it is worth attending. One of the best ways to spend your time is to see one-of-a-kind vintage cars and all sorts of nutty modifications racing around on a frozen lake.

Sweet Dreams -

Highly recommend staying at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel (there are few palace hotel designations in the world) it is one of the few times I would stay at a hotel instead of a social club.

Other than the main event, its a great place to sauna, dine and people watch. If you can, put your phone down and enjoy a sleigh ride.

Emerging Trends - 2025

Hoping to get a few more thoughts on emerging trends (if you want to submit your thoughts, message me), with all the tragedies this month it was difficult (totally understandable) to receive these on time for publication.

Check out these thoughts from a friend and investor, Frank Harmon writes,

_{“Looking ahead, I do not anticipate a negative 2025 but expect a more moderate year compared to 2023 and 2024. Additionally, I am closely monitoring the growth of private credit markets. While I cannot predict when or how these markets might become problematic, history suggests that such imbalances often present opportunities for experienced distressed credit investors like Howard Marks, who has consistently achieved extraordinary returns over the past five decades.}

In response to these dynamics, I am systematically reallocating from public markets into private investments, primarily private equity (PE), to reduce exposure to broader market volatility.

My target is a maximum allocation of 50% to public equities, with the remainder focused on high-growth, non-correlated opportunities. Private equity and alternative investments offer a more favorable asymmetrical risk-return profile. Additionally, I am increasing my cash position to remain agile in the event of a market correction. One of the most important lessons I learned from the 2008 housing crisis is that it doesn’t matter if you can buy a dollar for 50 cents if you don’t have the 50 cents available. While I avoided significant losses during that period, I missed opportunities due to an aversion to “cash drag.” This experience reinforced the importance of liquidity in capitalizing on unforeseen opportunities.”

^{If you are looking for alternative investment opportunities, highly recommend looking into Dreams to Dividends (more on this below) and GoodFin (backed by Y Combinator)}

New(ish) Community - Dreams to Dividends™ 

In 2020, I launched Mission to Launch™, helping hundreds of people transition from ministry, the military, and college into entrepreneurship and corporate life. An article about us in the National Catholic Register (Catholic equivalent of the WSJ) is linked here.

As of this month have since relaunched it as Dreams to Dividends™after a three year hiatus due to burnout due to over hiring for the startup (while also managing two companies and 3 board roles). Rest assured, this newsletter won’t be a monthly sales pitch, but for those who followed my journey since 2020, I’m offering early access (to everyone on this list) at a discounted rate to test out new features, perks, and courses. If you're interested, reply to [email protected]

In short, the community brings back select courses that changed lives by equipping you to learn about dreaming as a skillset, and helping you turn your dreams into dividends that pay you in all areas of your life. If you have yet to reach your impossible dreams this is for you - no matter what age you are at.

A few of my possible, stretch & impossible dreams that I have achieved - most within 6 months of writing them down:

• From $26k/year in youth ministry to 7 figures in 5 years

• Featured in Fortune, Forbes, and now Financial Times (🤯) to name a few (featured in Fortune 4x - 2 of those times within 2.5 months of deciding to shoot for the moon to do PR for my brand).

• Youngest woman in America (at the time) to serve on the board of a mid-market ($200M) company at age 30 (achieved this impossible dream within 3 months of writing it down) God is good.

• Executive produced a podcast series that then went on to sell to NBC & so many other dreams that have happened.

A few notable community features include:

• Vetted deal flow opportunities (integrating with a private equity & family office investing club)

• Bi-annual curated dinner with a Michelin Chefs (1st one is from Noma !)

• 3 foundational courses updated for 2025

• Bonus course: Ballin’ on a Budget™ - Professional Styling tips for Men & Women from a stylist that works with several NFL teams for their off-the field looks

• Curated resource library (over 500 entries) with contact info for Y-Combinator to Accounting to Private Family Travel Concierge contacts

• Brand partnerships from private jets to polo tickets

• AI Mentor Matching (mentors from investment banks, satellite & software engineers, PE, VC’s)

• & more to come !

Wishing you all a very merry and cozy weekend

Ciao,

Elena

Email me by replying to this email or sending a note to [email protected]