Alisa Yakovleva: From Fired to Fortune

When Alisa Yakovleva lost her corporate job during a financial crisis, she had no roadmap—just a laptop, determination, and a family depending on her. What began as pure survival soon became the foundation of a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Today, Alisa is the powerhouse behind a $60M business and the founder of AVGUST Academy, where she helps experts turn vision into thriving ventures. Her journey from crisis to clarity proves that with resilience, systems, and strategy, setbacks can spark extraordinary success.

“Clarity creates freedom — and freedom is what allows a business to grow.”

Losing your corporate job was a big turning point. How did you find the courage to start your own business from zero?

I was 26 — still young enough to turn anger into fuel. Getting fired felt unfair, almost absurd. How could they let go of one of their best employees during a crisis? That shock gave me the drive to say, “I’ll show you.”

But behind the emotion was clarity. I had saved a financial cushion to cover one year of very modest living. That decision gave me freedom: everything else I could invest into the business without fear. My only rule was simple — one year to try, no pressure to succeed fast.

That clarity — knowing my limits, resources, and horizon — protected my energy. It allowed me to focus on action, not fear. In the end, it was freedom that gave me courage.

In those early days, doing everything yourself, what was the hardest part— and what kept you going?

It wasn’t emotionally hard in the beginning — it was physical. I worked almost non-stop, with no weekends or real pauses. But there was so much enthusiasm that I learned at the speed of light — because I had to. One day I was HR, the next accountant, then courier, IT, and sales all in one.

The real challenge was priorities. Every day felt like a fire drill: which fire do I put out first? With no experience, I relied on logic and intuition. That meant I was tactical, not strategic — making decisions that later created new problems. But that’s part of the process; you solve them when they arrive.

What kept me going was the fact that there was no way back. I moved forward like a robot. It felt like climbing a steep mountain: your legs burn, your lungs scream, your pulse pounds in your ears. You think, “I can’t take another step.” But if you push a little further, suddenly the pain eases, your breath evens out, and a second wind carries you higher. Business was exactly the same.

Over time, my tolerance for failure only grew. What once felt like a catastrophe now looks like a minor glitch. The scale of problems changes — but so does your strength.

Was there a moment when you finally felt, “Yes, this is working”?

The first moment was the opening day of my very first store. I had worked 24 hours straight the night before, just to get everything ready. When the doors opened and I saw real people walking to the cash register — it was surreal.

But I was too exhausted to take it in. I went home and slept for 17 hours. When I woke up, the first thing I did was grab my phone. Seeing the revenue gave me relief: “Okay, there’s hope.”

A week later, the revenue doubled. That’s when it hit me: this might actually work. I’ve always loved building financial scenarios, and when reality outperforms the plan, it feels like ice cream to a child — pure joy.

Of course, entrepreneurs rarely stay in that joy for long. The moment you realize something works, your brain immediately whispers: “Great. What’s next?”

Your business now makes over $60 million a year. What made the biggest difference in getting there?

When you grow a company from zero to $60 million in annual revenue, there isn’t one magic factor. Each stage demands something different.

In the beginning, what matters most is the founder’s enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and absurd tolerance for failure. You survive by being creative, flexible, and willing to fall and get back up.

Once you open the second, third, fourth store, improvisation no longer works. You have to build systems — it’s the only way to scale.

And the bigger you grow, the more the spotlight shifts to processes and people. At some point, it’s less about you and more about your ability to delegate, build a strong team, and let them carry growth forward.

If I had to name the real difference, it’s this: learning to reinvent myself — and the company — at every stage.

Many entrepreneurs struggle with burnout. How do you protect your energy and focus?

I learned the hard way that everything depends on my health and state of mind. When you realize the whole business rests on that foundation, you start taking rest, physical activity, and joy much more seriously.

For years I operated in the “faster, more, now” paradigm. It wasn’t until I hit real burnout that I understood: mental and physical health must be a priority.

Now my calendar reflects that. Every day has reserved time for sports, meals, rest, and family. Weekends are sacred — no work allowed. In the past, my schedule was only meetings, meetings, meetings… and of course I’d work weekends, too. But the truth is, you’ll never make all the money in the world. At some point, protecting your energy becomes the smartest investment you can make.

When someone comes to you feeling lost in their business, what’s the first thing you help them with?

I always start with clarity. We take the business apart and label every piece. What are you selling — and at what price? Where does your traffic come from? How efficiently do you convert that traffic into sales? For me, these are the three pillars: Offer × Traffic × Conversion.

Most founders misdiagnose the problem. They assume “cheap to a huge audience” is easy. It isn’t. A low price shifts all the pressure onto traffic volume and acquisition costs — and traffic is the hardest lever. It’s noisy, competitive, and expensive. That’s why, especially at the start, a high-value offer sold to the right clients is often a cleaner, faster path than chasing mass volume.

Once we map the funnel, the bottleneck becomes obvious: weak offer, insufficient or poor-fit traffic, or leaky conversion. Then we pick one lever, define one metric, and execute. When your business sits neatly on these three shelves, anxiety goes down, and decisions become simple — even if the work itself is not.

“When I grow a company from zero to $60 million in annual revenue, there isn’t one magic factor. Each stage demands something different.”

At AVGUST Academy, sometimes you step in as CEO, other times you mentor. What’s the difference for you?

The difference is clear. When I produce a project, I’m in full CEO mode: managing the team, setting goals, hiring and firing, finding growth paths, and ensuring everything gets done. It’s very hands-on, with strong accountability, because I usually take 50% of the revenue I help create. My motivation is directly tied to results.

Mentoring is a completely different energy. You don’t give direct orders — instead, you guide, explain, and create clarity. The student isn’t your employee; they make their own choices. My role is to hold space, challenge their thinking, and support their progress. Sometimes it feels like business psychotherapy.

And honestly, it’s harder than doing it myself — but it’s more rewarding. Seeing someone’s eyes light up when they finally “get it” is priceless. As a producer, I measure success in numbers; as a mentor, I measure it in transformations.

What’s one mistake you see a lot of entrepreneurs make, and how can they avoid it?

The biggest mistake I see is confusing movement with progress. Many entrepreneurs chase every idea, every task, every “urgent” fire — and end up lost in complexity.

For me, the fight has always been for simplicity. Back in retail, I would ask: how do we make this process one step instead of three? How do we remove friction so the customer moves easily? Now in digital, it’s the same battle: clearer writing, fewer steps, shorter paths between interest and purchase.

Complexity drains both founders and clients. Clarity creates freedom — and freedom is what allows a business to grow. If you ever feel stuck, don’t add more. Ask instead: what can I remove?

You’ve moved countries, started over, and become a mom. How have these life changes shaped the way you run business today?

I don’t see it as “starting over.” When you have years of experience, every new business is built on a strong foundation of skills and systems. It’s not a restart — it’s a new chapter.

Motherhood also transformed my approach. By the time my daughter was born, I was already an experienced manager. Becoming a mom didn’t slow me down — it sharpened me. Before, I learned mostly on the go: through practice, books, and trial and error. Now I take structured programs back-to-back. It made me more systematic, more confident, and more resilient.

It also taught me patience and humility — qualities that business alone rarely teaches. Those lessons directly influence how I lead: I delegate more, focus only on what truly drives results, and design my life to remain location-independent with multiple income streams.

These changes didn’t weaken me — they made me more strategic.

You often say “clarity creates freedom.” What does that mean in practice?

For me, “clarity creates freedom” isn’t about knowing everything in advance — it’s about avoiding decision paralysis. Most entrepreneurs get stuck in 100 options, 100 strategies, 100 voices. That noise is exhausting.

Clarity is the opposite. In business, it means knowing three things with absolute precision: what you sell, who you sell to, and how you sell it. Once those are clear, the noise drops, decisions speed up, and you move forward without second-guessing.

In life, clarity looks simple — daily routines like sports, meals, and family time. But those anchors keep me steady. From that stability comes freedom: the freedom to create, build, and make decisions without drowning in chaos.

Clarity doesn’t mean you know everything you want. It means the next step is clear — and that’s what creates freedom.