Meet Sam Sloan-Alvita, the Founder and Lead Coach behind Alvita Coaching, where design innovation meets career coaching.
Sam’s entrepreneurial journey is a culmination of her passion for education, design, and life itself. With a decade’s experience in crafting personalized learning experiences, she has become a beacon for those seeking to shape their own futures. Sam’s work at Alvita Coaching began as a way to fill the gap in accessible, modern career coaching, especially for young professionals and creatives. Since then, she’s launched a flagship program designed with university students who are entering the job market in mind. Despite facing self-doubt and the inevitable challenges that come along with entrepreneurship, Sam’s belief in the potential of every individual has driven her to overcome those obstacles and successfully establish a transformative coaching practice.
We asked Sam about the story behind Alvita Coaching’s founding, how her past experiences contribute to how she operates as an entrepreneur, and what’s next for her and her company.
Tell us the story behind your company’s founding. How and why did you start working on Alvita Coaching?
I'm a coach, designer, and self-proclaimed life enthusiast with a decade of experience in creating dynamic, personalized, learning experiences. I love working with clients as they work to craft future visions for their lives and helping them to realize the impact they can have.
Alvita Coaching started about five years ago. It grew from a simple passion for helping my friends rewrite their resumes during career transitions. I quickly realized there was a large gap in accessible, modern career coaching. This was especially true for young professionals and creatives feeling stuck in their lives and roles.
What are some of the most meaningful impacts Alvita Coaching has had so far?
Our flagship Next Gen Leaders Program is designed specifically for university students and professionals who are entering the job market for the first time. I’ve been focusing on scaling this program as quickly as possible with the goal of making a coaching curriculum that is affordable, accessible, and designed with the modern economy in mind. I’ve also built out a robust scholarship program ensuring that job seekers from diverse backgrounds can access quality coaching.
What makes Alvita Coaching different from other similar companies in the industry?
Our unique blend of design thinking and educational principles sets our coaching programs apart. We offer customized plans and curricula tailored to our clients' individual needs and goals. We focus on creative career planning, building a strong personal brand, and helping them feel like they have the skills they need to make the impact they hope to make.
Being an effective leader entails approaching problems with curiosity and committing to lifelong learning. Facing challenges with openness transforms all experiences into opportunities for growth and development.
In what ways has your upbringing or past experiences contributed to how you operate as an entrepreneur?
My journey and approach to both entrepreneurship and leadership are deeply influenced by my background in education. I deeply believe in the potential of every person—a belief that has shaped my mission and vision. This core belief in potential—both my clients' and my own—drives my approach to business and coaching.
Have you struggled with self-doubt as an entrepreneur? How do you navigate this?
Of course. I believe there isn’t an entrepreneur out there who hasn’t faced self-doubt at some point in their journey. Speaking as a coach, overcoming various obstacles is a fundamental part of every entrepreneur's path, making it crucial not to let self-doubt be one of those barriers. However, overcoming these mental blocks is easier said than done, as many individuals struggle to fully commit, be bold, and realize their future vision. To navigate my own challenges with self-doubt, I sought guidance from a coach, which helped me overcome these barriers and move forward with confidence.
Have you discovered any underappreciated leadership traits or misconceptions around leadership?
I believe curiosity is one of the most underappreciated traits in leadership. I firmly hold that being an effective leader entails approaching problems with curiosity and committing to lifelong learning. Facing challenges with openness transforms all experiences into opportunities for growth and development.
What have you learned about building a team and a support network around yourself?
I firmly believe that a strong team and an excellent support network is crucial to success. I learn immensely from my network and am deeply grateful for the amazing individuals in my corner. I make it a point to have at least one coffee chat daily with people in my life, including those I know well and professionals in the industry tackling similar challenges. Additionally, I receive most of my best feedback from my network and consistently seek their insights on the tough questions that help me grow.
What’s next for you and Alvita Coaching?
We're focusing on expanding our Next Gen Leaders Program, aiming to support the upcoming generation of leaders as they prepare to tackle significant global challenges. We are very excited about how this program is shaping up and what an expansion of access to high-quality coaching could mean for new leaders.
