THE ÉLAVIVE EDIT

Natasha Donnelly is the Executive Director of House of the Redeemer, a historic retreat house on New York City’s Upper East Side. Before joining the House in 2025, she spent ten years in Catholic education, teaching theology, English, and serving in school leadership roles. Natasha holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and an M.Ed. and M.A. in School Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. At House of the Redeemer, she works to advance its mission of providing hospitality through worship, spiritual renewal, and cultural and community events. Natasha lives in Carnegie Hill with her husband, two-year-old daughter, and their Cavapoo.

In this episode of The Élavive Edit, Jessica Oistacher speaks with Natasha Donnelly, Executive Director of House of the Redeemer, about bringing fresh energy and new possibilities to a historic retreat house on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

At the heart of the conversation is her approach to leadership: stay curious, trust your team, and look for ways to make meaningful ideas work. Her advice for anyone considering a new direction is to recognize your gifts, ask others what strengths they see in you, and stay open to opportunities beyond your résumé.

Learn more about the House of the Redeemer at https://www.houseoftheredeemer.org/ or @houseoftheredeemer on Instagram. 

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

Aleksey Kernes is a hospitality entrepreneur and experiential marketing strategist known for building culture-driven brands at the intersection of coffee, nightlife, and lifestyle.

As the founder of Have A Nice Day Coffee and Nice Day Moto, he creates high-impact, revenue-generating experiences—from nitro cold brew and espresso martini systems used in top venues, to a one-of-a-kind motorcycle coffee shop that blends rebellion with hospitality.

Previously, Aleksey co-founded HOOCH, scaling it to thousands of venues nationwide through strategic partnerships and large-scale events.

His work lives where energy, community, and execution meet—designing concepts that are activation-ready, built to travel, and impossible to ignore.

It’s a nice day to have a nice day.

You can find Aleksey on Instagram @alekseykernes and his work here

@haveanicedaycoffee + @nicedaymoto + @theconcord.nyc 

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

In this episode of The Élavive Edit, Morgan Salsman, founder of LQD Assets, shares her journey from engineering to building a $21M whiskey barrel investment business. Raised in the bourbon capital of Bardstown, Kentucky, Morgan shares how she turned early industry exposure into a fast-growing company focused on alternative assets, storage, and brand consulting.

Join us to explore the fundamentals of alternative asset investing, the realities of entrepreneurship, and the importance of storytelling, consistency, and building a business on that fits your life. 

Morgan Salsman is the founder of LQD Assets, LLC, a Kentucky based company operating across alternative asset investments, whiskey barrel storage and brand consulting. With a background in civil engineering and a deep understanding of the bourbon and distilled spirits ecosystem, she has built and scaled warehousing operations managing tens of thousands of barrels while advising emerging and established brands on sourcing and growth strategy. Morgan structures investment opportunities in new fill barrels as well as aged inventory, blending operational expertise with disciplined financial modeling. Recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Food and Beverage list, she is known for pairing relationship driven leadership with a sharp understanding of market cycles and capital formation.

You can find Morgan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-salsman-82046a178/ or learn more about LQD Assets, LLC here https://lqdassets.co/ 

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

Vanessa Pascale is a seasoned editor and luxury lifestyle journalist who has interviewed the most accomplished names in entertainment (hundreds of in-person celebrity interviews and 100+ cover stories), including high-profile movie stars (Catherine Zeta-Jones), royalty (Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle), musicians (Harry Connick Jr.), entrepreneurs (Paris Hilton), Michelin-starred chefs (Daniel Boulud), television stars (Sophia Bush), and fashion designers (Christian Siriano) for the covers and interiors of glossy magazines worldwide. 

Vanessa's affinity for the arts and entertainment began at an early age. As a child, she voraciously devoured Sweet Valley books, The Big Bopper magazine interviews, Blockbuster's latest releases, and filled notebook after notebook with poetry. Vanessa’s father pushed her to study writing in college, as he realized her gift for storytelling well before she did. 

The Florida native obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. Her first editorial assignment was an in-person interview with TV personality/interior designer Genevieve Gorder for Orlando Style magazine. That fateful assignment deeply influenced Vanessa’s career path, leading her to pursue soul-feeding interviews. 

Vanessa's writing has been published in magazines across the nation (Modern Luxury's The Atlantan, Interiors Atlanta, Interiors Southeast, Jezebel, Weddings Atlanta, Datebook; VUE Atlanta; LA Direct; San Diego Magazine; Phoenix Magazine; Miami Living; Simply Buckhead; Decatur Living; South Magazine); on websites (executive bios); and has helped sell multimillion-dollar real estate.

The former editor-in-chief of Miami Living (12 years) lived in Los Angeles and New York City for several years before moving to Atlanta, where she resides today. Vanessa is elated to still be interviewing people she admires and writing about her greatest passions: entertainment, food, fashion, and travel. Through the written word, Vanessa strives to inspire, entertain, and uncover the magic that lies in every story she tells. 

For more information and to read Vanessa’s work, visit: www.vanessapascale.com

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

Artem Mashkov is a Startup Executive, Founder, and Mentor with a career defined by building, scaling, and sustaining high-growth businesses.

After immigrating to the United States in 1995, Artem grew up on welfare before launching his first telecom retail business at just 19 years old during the Great Recession. He went on to scale that venture to 15 locations, building a profitable, high-performing operation that continues to thrive today.

An active angel investor and advisor, Artem later joined SwagUp as COO and CFO, where he helped transform the company into one of the fastest-growing businesses in the country. Under his leadership, SwagUp ranked 23rd on the Inc. 5000 list and was successfully acquired by BDA in 2024. Known for his ability to scale with intention, Artem brings a grounded, execution-focused philosophy rooted in profitability, operational clarity, and long-term durability.

A graduate of Baruch College with a degree in Entrepreneurship, Artem is bilingual in English and Russian and is deeply committed to mentoring emerging founders. Beyond business, he is currently performing stand-up comedy, using humor as a creative outlet and a tool for navigating burnout, identity shifts, and mental health. 

When he’s not working or on stage, Artem enjoys gaming, coding, and staying active through sports like volleyball and soccer.

You can find him on Instagram at @artemisfunny or on X at @Artem_Mashkov.

Upcoming shows in NYC: January 15th & January 17th

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

Kathy Yavari is a Certified Integrative Health and Wellness coach, Ayurveda Specialist, and Founder of White Orchids Wellness. With a background that spans international business, finance, and marketing, Kathy brings a grounded, global perspective to her coaching rooted in the belief that sustainable change does not come from being told what to do, but from understanding who you are.

At the core of her work is self-discovery. Through guided reflection, intentional questioning, and deep self-awareness, Kathy helps individuals uncover their patterns, values, strengths, and blind spots. This process creates clarity, alignment, and confidence, allowing clients to move beyond autopilot and make choices that reflect who they truly are, not who they have been conditioned to be.

Her approach blends Eastern wisdom with modern coaching practices, supporting high-performing individuals through life transitions and into a more intentional, balanced, and energized way of living.

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

In this episode of The Élavive Edit, we sit down with Vitoria for an intimate conversation about endurance, reinvention, and building a life with intention.

Born in the countryside of Brazil, Vitoria learned discipline early through professional tennis, traveling the world alone as a teenager and rising to a #118 ITF junior ranking. That same grit carried her to New York City, where she made it to Wall Street as an investment banking analyst at Citi. What followed was a reckoning familiar to many high achievers: success on paper, and burnout in reality.

Vitoria shares what it felt like to walk away from a prestigious career, navigate uncertainty, and confront the emotional weight of starting over. She reflects on how hyper-independence shaped her resilience, how banking clarified her values, and why staying in a job that drains you can be riskier than leaving it.

This conversation explores the power of playing the long game: learning to sit with uncertainty, creating structure without rigidity, honoring small wins, and trusting that clarity comes through action, not perfection.

A thoughtful listen for anyone rethinking success, rebuilding from experience, or choosing to build slowly.

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

What if the most important decision you make all day happens before you even open your eyes?

Most people start their day in reaction mode without realizing they had a choice. In this episode of The Élavive Edit, Jessica breaks down the tiny micro-choice you make before your day even begins and how setting intention shifts your energy, focus, and flow.

Through simple physiology, real-world examples, and practical micro-anchors you can use immediately, Jessica shows how intention becomes the quiet architecture that shapes energy, clarity, emotional regulation, and performance throughout your day.

If you’ve been craving steadier mornings, clearer thinking, or a life that feels more yours, this reset will meet you right where you are and give you one small, powerful shift to carry into tomorrow.

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

Marta is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, and the founder of Marta Elevates. Her philosophy blends real food, functional training, and deep self-awareness — all rooted in a sense of adventure. In this episode, she shares how skydiving became both a catalyst for her personal transformation and a powerful metaphor for how she chooses to live: facing fear head-on, trusting herself fully, and choosing freedom over comfort.

After leaving her 9-to-5 to build a life grounded in purpose and authenticity, Marta created Marta Elevates to help others take full ownership of their health, body, and life — in and out of the gym.

Learn more about Marta on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube @martaelevates

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam

How do you stay flexible in your thinking? 

The Roundtable, a weekly leadership circle from Élavive, was designed to provide perspective, presence and purpose before heading back into your work with renewed energy and clarity.

Hosted by Jessica Oistacher, Founder of Élavive, The Roundtable isn’t your typical meeting. It’s a 30-minute virtual gathering where leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives come together to explore the intersection of wellness & performance psychology.

Each session blends neuroscience-backed insights, mindful reflection, and open conversation — reminding us that true leadership isn’t about doing more, but being more aligned. It’s a space to exchange ideas, share energy, and reconnect with what matters most.

Whether you join weekly or drop in when you can, The Roundtable is your mid-day reset. It's a reminder that flexibility in thought, flow in action, and presence in leadership are the real performance multipliers.

✨ Join us live every Friday at 12 p.m. EST.

Learn more: https://www.elavive.com/theroundtable

Explore the future of wellness and performance at www.elavive.com, and join our community on Instagram @elaviveus.

Original music by Emily Gabriele.

#LiveElevated #ElevateYourTeam