We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Desiree Alvarez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Desiree, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Work ethic comes from passion, and I don’t know if that is something that can be taught. I played sports up & through college so I account a lot of my work ethic to years of dedicated training. Softball humbly taught me how to handle failure, stress, & the art of anticipation. Sports in general helped me understand the importance of consistency, teamwork & how to use my voice as a leader.
Though working in busy bars every weekend in downtown San Diego while taking a full load of classes, taught me hustle to another degree.
When you are passionate about what you are doing, it makes the time devoted to the craft a lot more enjoyable.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have been in the assisted stretching space going on four years, which is crazy because it is still so niche.
My bachelors degree is in Kinesiology: the study of the movement of the body. I owe my fascination of kinesiology to my trainers growing up. From age 15 on I trained with elite athletes, we trained for functionality and always spent time on form and intention of the movement. Post graduation I went on to get certifications in Strength & Conditioning and Corrective Exercise. As much as I enjoy working out, I knew if I placed my career in it solely I would burn out.
That fear lead me to discovering assisted stretching.
I started Altha Align, assisted stretch studio in the heart of San Diego, alongside Isabelle Gartner a year ago. Stretching wasn’t invented a few years ago but dates back to ancient Greeks. As stretch therapist, we aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, rather renegotiate the commitment around stretching and recovery. We constantly reiterate how listening to your body, truly listening, leads to longevity. Our community is what makes what we do so special; the trust they instill within us to help them understand their bodies and patterns better is unparalleled.
The most special part about all of this is getting to do it with my best friend. We care so deeply for our clients and have the same vision for where we plan to take this. Year one was FUN and filled with lots of learning. We truly feel like the luckiest girls in the world to work in a space that demands we take care of ourselves to practice what we preach but also to be an influence to those around us.
We host and participate in several wellness events every month, so follow us on socials to meet some like minded individuals.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Trust your intuition – always! That gut feeling will never steer you wrong. When you’re being authentic you will feel aligned with what you’re producing. Find your tribe, they will make you feel safe and supported.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Always! We are stronger as a community when we work together. Being a small women owned business is something we pride ourselves in and that is typically the type of collaborations we seek. The reality is everyone can benefit from stretching and recovery so if any of that aligns with your brand we would love to chat. We are active on social platforms like Instagram, so please reach out or shoot us an email.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.althaalign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/althaalign/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlthaAlign
Image Credits
Sydney Hickey
