"Dare to redefine success, to re-imagine the possible" with Sara Oblak Speicher

Photo credit Aaron Pepis

Sara Oblak Speicher, MBA is an international elite basketball player turned master life coach, quantum strategist, and mindset expert. She inspires and empowers visionary women in leadership to redefine the possible, create flow in chaos, transform their schedules, and bring their boldest visions to life. The Slovenia-native now a New Yorker is also a survivor of postpartum depression and severe burnout that nearly killed, them but became her spiritual awakening instead. Passionately rewriting the rules of living, Sara currently resides in the Lower Hudson Valley with her husband, their two daughters, and three furry rescues.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

Thank you so much for having me! I come from a humble background. I grew up in a multi-generational home in Škofja Loka, a medieval town of about 20,000 and surrounded by nature. I remember always feeling more at home around adults than my own peers, and given a choice between a book or playground, you’d find me snuggled up on a bed and immersed in whatever story I was reading – and then drawing it all out.

I also hail from a lineage of strong and independent women who lived ahead of their times, women who were very resourceful, resilient, and entrepreneurial to help ends meet. Feminists who still were deeply affected by starvation, violence, death, and many of them treated like slaves in their marriages because they couldn’t afford to leave. So this deeply shaped my outlook on life, and on what being a woman meant.

Basketball became my refuge from being mercilessly bullied, a distraction from the Balkan War that was raging nearby, and ultimately a ticket into the world. At the age of 12, I began traveling around Europe to compete at basketball tournaments - and been to Paris 3 times! I was 14 when I first put on the jersey of Slovenia Women's National Basketball team. At 16, I was the youngest player on the senior team and at 18 served as a team captain at the European Championship.

Once I already retired, I ended up reluctantly accepting an unexpected invitation to play NCAA D-I basketball. So I packed my 3 suitcases, kissed my family goodbye, and boarded a trans-Atlantic flight to New York City 4,500 miles away. I have never been on the Downtown Brooklyn campus before making it my temporary home in 2004. And have I mentioned that I was barely able to speak English, my 4th language at the time?

After a short stint in the private sector, I opened my own business. At first, a virtual assistance company that soon grew into a premier online business management and consulting agency. I loved supporting business owners, women in particular, and giving them more time by taking tasks off their plate.

Soon, our relationships deepened and they opened up more and more. Through those conversations I realized that simply ticking off their to-do lists is like putting a band-aid on a bacterial infection. Because many of those items didn’t need to be on it in the first place. 

Professionally trained as a consultant and with a natural gift for seeing the big picture and all the moving pieces, I started to offer more strategic, sustainable solutions. Their businesses started to transform. And so has mine. I loved every bit of it.

But there is only so much that one can do when they have a clear strategic plan. From my personal experience, I knew the next layer would be mindset. Yes, as a former elite athlete, high-performance mindset was my mastery. But I wanted to learn the ins and outs of how to coach someone to help them develop theirs. In a safe way. And on that journey, I also tapped into my mysticism, witchy nature that went untapped all those decades.
It got me thinking, “I wonder what happens if I blend lifestyle architecture, time mastery and strategic genius with mental brilliance and spirituality? And healing and metaphysical principles with everyday practicality derived from 25+ years of international experience?”

So when working with high-achieving women nowadays, business is just one piece of a complex puzzle they are trying to navigate. Because there’s family. And relationships. And home. And team. And life. And their own calling, mission, purpose. And that pesky thing called chronological time that keeps on ticking.

In the sacred space of our private practice, we therefore get to re-imagine the possible, simplify complexities with honor and respect for how complex these individuals are as a human being. We help them create flow in chaos and transform their schedule. This might sound like a cliché, but we bring their boldest dreams to life.

What gives me the greatest joy is seeing my clients emerge into the world in ways that reflect the fire of their heart, knowing of their soul, magic of their vision. And that looks very differently:

For some, it’s collapsing timelines and turn their 25-year dream into reality within a year or two: from moving cross-country, to buying a dream home, to having a family (and no longer feeling trapped, scared, and overwhelmed).

What matters to others is reviving marriages, deepening and strengthening their relationships with themselves, their loved ones, and their teams (and no longer being triggered, feeling isolated, and wanting to run away).

Others just want to multiply revenues, profits, and free up more time with integrity, harmony
(and no longer working so much, so hard for what they though success and building an empire should look like).

We intend to do it all in ways that create richer experiences, and allow them to be more present, clear, and focused in all they set out to do and become (and no longer burning out at multi-7-fig revenues as a primary home provider consumed with guilt, shame).

Because ultimately, we all strive to make a more positive impact and high-value, lasting contribution to the world with greater fulfillment and joy (while turning the world into our playground).

What inspired you to start your business?

Both of my parents transition from laborers with technical skills, to opening their own businesses when I was in my early teens. While I got to witness some of the sacrifices, risks, grit, and devotion that has required, I also got to enjoy that certain freedom that came with them being in command of their own schedules. And ultimately, finances. A seed was planted. I knew what I was after.

 By the time I was pursuing an MBA degree in New York City, I had already bought into this idea of an American dream instead. Even though America was never painted to me as some promise land. Perhaps it’s because of that that I have the privilege to experience it very differently now? Anyway, at the time, I set my eyes on this proverbial corner office overlooking the Central Park. Wearing fancy suits and heels that, honestly, I do look good in at 185cm tall!

In all seriousness. The dreams came crashing down with the signing of the first employment contract. No sick leave, no paid vacation time, no overtime as a salaried employee – even when my day begun at a networking evet at 7am and I was still in the office at 10pm.

Once my husband and I bought our first house and my commute to (now a new job) required a 2.5 hours of driving, ferry, train, subway, and walk to reach the office (totaling 5 hours each day), I was seriously rethinking the whole thing.

Around the time we found out we were expecting a baby, I was called into a meeting. “Sara, I don’t think this is going to work…” was music to my ears.

Losing that job was a wish come true in a way because I for sure was not going to quit. I was not a quitter…  

Relieved in many ways, I was on someone else’s timeline now. And it was an opportunity to re-imagine the possible. To remember the roots.

Yearning for this sense of freedom and flexibility, and being deeply disappointed by the hostile (non-existing) support system for new moms and families (remember, I am European, we do these things very differently there), I rolled up my sleeves, took a leap, and started my own business. 

Where is your business based?

Technically in New York, more specifically anywhere I am with a phone or laptop. Most of the time that’s my home office. Or a couch next to our two dogs while the kids are in school... By the time this article is published, my partnership company just might be incorporated in a different state as well, although I’ll still be working from any location.

But, since all our services are conducted online, I consider this a global company – just like our clientele and vendors have been over these past 10+ years.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

As already mentioned, after I was clear on the fact that I am kind of unemployable, it was time to get clear on what to do about it.

All I knew at the time were three parameters: the work needed to be flexible, meaning I am in control of my own schedule.

Second, the work shall be conducted remotely so that I could be with my baby, and travel to any place and any time we desired.

And third, I needed to have the freedom to take on as much or as little of work as I wanted, and the type of work that excited me.

Simple, right?

Next up were brainstorming sessions – from postit notes on a wall to venn diagrams in my notebooks, to honest conversations with people whom I trusted. My goal was to gain clarity on what I could offer, what I loved doing, what was needed on the market, etc.

Once I decided on virtual assistance, I learned the rest on the go – from developing a business plan, business model, marketing strategy to building a website, and learning social media marketing, sales…

I still remember the excitement of the possibilities, the terror of the unknown, and the lessons in making every single mistake I could possibly make in being one of the pioneers of a virtual assistance business in my area.

And yet, it was surprisingly easy to juggle caring for a newborn, building up what would soon become a premium online business management and consulting agency with clients worldwide… While still putting on high heels multiple times per week to masterfully network around the Tri-state area. And traveling for weeks on end.

The hardest was pricing. “Who would be willing to pay this much for that?” My mind could not compute how my colleagues were signing up $75/hr or $150/hr clients… until that one day when one of mine was holding a checkbook and offered to pay $250 without even blinking.

When our second daughter completed our family 2.5 years later, I felt like the sky was the limit! The fact that I had built an agency that enabled me to give myself a 3-month fully-paid maternity leave while the team continued to support our clients, only elevated this sense of pride and accomplishment.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

The truth is that the tactics and strategies that worked 10 years ago, won’t quite working today; and what works right now, probably won’t next week. But there are some timeless principles.

I can honestly say that in these years, I pretty much did all sorts of marketing. Consistent newsletters. Daily social media posts. Hundreds of videos. And webinars, and trainings. Hundreds of articles written and published. Consistent networking online and in-person. Follow-up and outreach. 

In fact, I took over a local chapter of a nationwide organization for professional women just weeks after giving birth to my first daughter. So I put on my heels, put her in a carrier, and off we went to hold monthly meetings.

It might sound arrogant, but I really do not know of many people who have been as consistent in taking such massive actions on a daily basis. No. Matter. What. Of course, wisdom is in distinguishing between hustle and hassle, grit and grind.

But what ultimately moves the needle for me, are relationships. Writing. And speaking. The more authentic and simple, the better. So this might be a good reminder for the reader to be curious, try what you like, and then do that.

Now here is the other side of this coin: delivering what’s promised. And caring for people you get to work with. Still, we only know and can do so much, so don’t be afraid of asking for help. Hire those who are better than you in certain things. Let them help you in areas where you are not as strong but stuff still needs to get done in order to reach your audience, to meet your goals. So that you can remain focused on your strengths, your gifts. Your role as the CEO of your company.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

While powering through short winter days of snuggling a newborn, caring for a toddler, managing my team, and planning to retire my husband… something unexpected happened.

Post-partum depression and two trips to the ER due to burnout, paired with incredible homesickness and grief after losing two grandparents whom I could not say proper goodbyes to, were clear signs that the same work ethic, strategies, and mindset that had given me everything, could now kill me.

I would love to say that what happened next was a movie-like epiphany and an instant transformation that has catapulted me right back to the top. But. It. Wasn't.

Through the journey that followed, I looked critically at everything: my beliefs, stories, attitude, habits, conversations, expectations. Including my business, marriage, family, myself.

I unlearned, undid, and unmasked it all to reevaluate, release, rethink, redefine, reframe, rebuild.

To heal, transform and transmute this feeling of deep disconnect, overwhelm, isolation, frustration. Because I knew I was meant for more... And that my business was meant for more...

After a few annual trans-Atlantic trips with the little ones (I mastered the art and science of flying solo with a baby and a toddler), I also felt called to move us all back Slovenia to heal, to reconnect, and to simply slow down. I no longer belonged here.

We didn’t move but the girls and I went there for 4 months. Upon our return, I experienced the dark night of the soul once again. I simply wanted to walk away from it all.

"This is not how this story ends," whispered my soul... so I leaned in even more.

By the time the world pressed pause in 2020, I felt transformed. Our home "in the mountains near the sea" became a sanctuary. We were gifted additional 18 months of family time as our kiddos would stay home during the pandemic.

My husband and I reconnected on a much deeper level. Exalted in his unconditional love, I realized just how much he has supported me by not letting me be less or playing small. By never trying to contain me.

I also reestablished boundaries in congruence with my core values. And, launched a new business, with a partner, that actually feels like something that will outlive us.
It feels like so much of this is eons away, and so do many things I still want to accomplish.

But here’s the thing: I didn’t do it on my own. It was hard to ask for help. It was challenging to receive it. But it was there all along – from my husband, our parents, to a very tight-nit circle of friends. And coaches and mentors I invested incredible amounts of resources to have their guidance and support.

How do you stay focused?

Athlete codes. And very limited time. And clear order of priorities. Seriously. A lot of us are experiencing this massive fatigue. There is so much happening. We are holding so much. And if you are neurodivergent, then that’s another layer you need to work though in order to function in the world. So what I find essential to remain focused, is this:

Being clear on the vision; this thing that makes my hear sing, that gives me this warm feeling that I can feel inside. This deep knowing of whatever is looking to emerge though me. This is the fire that gets me going.

Reverse-engineered plan that is easy to comprehend, execute on, and pivot when needed. And then having it all visually-accessible and color-coded.

Clarity around my capacity, order of priorities, and boundaries to assure I keep moving forward. This also includes being OK with the fluidity of it all. And, an accountability partner and a space to vent (some of the most productive times that move stale energy, bring clarity, and charge me into action).

Devoted self-care practice that includes consistent mindset work, energy healing and recalibration, physical fitness, proper nutrition, nurturing relationships and activities, and plenty of downtime for inspiration and integration.

These oftentimes allow me to accomplish more in a day than what I used to do in a whole week. With that, I then have the time, bandwidth, energy to also be a powerful householder, a present mom, supportive wife, caring friend.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Would you believe me if I told you that I have no idea? For real. Let me offer something.

There are millions of coaches out there. Millions of consultants. My job is to focus on my own craft, art. On the energy I embody and exude as that’s the signature of anything and everything I produce and share with the world. So when I am in the right state, when I show up, when I take aligned action, the people and opportunities are magnetized to me in ways I could not possibly try to control.

What the competition is doing becomes simply irrelevant.

Because nobody else on this planet can serve the client the way I do with my own unique perspective, lived experience, and interpretation of teachings; nobody else can co-create this specific synergy, a sacred space with the client in this way; nobody can ask questions, offer a reflection, hold space or kick their arse the way I do.

Besides, I am not for everyone. Most of my clients are trailblazer, mystics, high-achieving women who live ahead of their times. There are oftentimes no blueprints, no points of reference to what they, we, are creating. What we are creating cannot even be done in a linear fashion and with conventional wisdom. So by the time mainstream catches up, we’re already eons away.

Lastly, there are plenty of clients, plenty of opportunities, and abundance of money for all of us.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Funny you ask this because my business partner and I were just talking about this. The funny thing about going first… We had each built successful companies, and at the time, we left no stone unturned. We cold-called. We quite possibly spammed people. We networked. We emailed. We followed up. You name it, we did it.

Sometime along the journey of transitioning and pivoting my business into consulting and coaching, I became really jaded by all the quasi rules of the industry. Don’t do this. Don’t say that.

For example: it cheapens the brand if you talk to people, make yourself available for questions, or reach out to people with an invitation. It is a waste of time if you don’t automate every step of the sales cycle and have people jump though hoops to sign up.

So even when I did market and promote, I did it in a dimmed, diluted way, and from a very apologetic energy. Which is so not who I am as a woman.

Naturally, the outcome was commensurate with the input; I felt really stuck. I knew I had something amazing to offer and it was really frustrating to be like this best-kept-secret, talking into void, and hearing crickets. What made the matters worse was seeing people who I knew had a fraction of my expertise and client success, pass me and bank millions. Oh, just saying that feels so silly now but it’s where I was.

See, once you’re in this energy, it really doesn’t matter what you do. You can tick off all the boxes, do all the right things, but it will feel like you’re just spinning the wheels.

So, I went back to the roots. Ditched the rules and assumptions. Who am I? What I enjoy doing? How can my audience feel my energy? What are my core expertise? What are my core values? Who do I serve? How can I best serve them? And where are they?

The answer for me was in writing: writing for publications that reach audiences beyond mine as well as through my own platforms. Where I have space to teach, to inspire, to dive into deep and complex topics that cannot be diluted into a bumper-sticker-esque phrase.

It’s speaking: speaking to my audience via our podcast, YouTube channels, Livestreams, as well as to wider circles though seminars, events, and being a guest on other podcasts. Again, getting vulnerable, going deep, and keeping it real.

It’s building and nurturing relationships: being of service, being a resource, a power connector. And being willing to ask them for help.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Dare to redefine success, to re-imagine the possible. And don’t be afraid to fail. In fact, you will make more mistakes and you will have more failures than victories, and that’s the beauty of the journey. In the end, it’s a process of growth and willingness to take risks and to bet on yourself, which oftentimes requires investing in the right support (because we are not meant to, nor can we, do it alone).

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

From apps, I’ll say Zillow because I totally geek out over architecture, especially floor plans! And what’s not to like about touring some of the most exquisite homes, envisioning all sorts of possibilities? I also like YouTube and Podcasts to listen to while I cook or drive.

The blog I am currently really into, is by Dr. Angela Lauria on Socially Responsible Coaching. She is dismantling the whole industry, stepping on a lot of toes, and shifting many paradigms.

As far as the books go, I am simply loving mine even though it has not been published yet. And Circling the Sun by Benka Pulko – if some families have Bibles to pass down through generations, I have two copies of this book to pass onto my girls. A few others I am reading simultaneously are Women Who Run With Wolves, Mating In Captivity, Law of Divine Compensation, and Atlas of the Heart.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I recently deleted social media apps from my phone and that alone gave back 4 hours of my time per day! So I am very intentional in where my time and attention go. Voxer is therefore one of my favorite tools for communication and client support that is also respectful of one’s time and availability.

Another invaluable tool I use all the time is Descript - video and audio transcribing, editing, re-formatting all in one. And Canva. Google Docs and Asana are amazing at keeping things organized and progressing smoothly.

Who is your business role model? Why?

I don’t mean to be righteous, but I really don’t have role models in a sense of putting people on pedestals. Or to aspire to be like them. Individuals who inspire me, do so in many ways and for multiple reasons. And that “list” keeps changing, evolving. Some are world-renowned athletes, entrepreneurs who reached celebrity-status. Some are community organizers and social justice advocates who remain behind the scenes. Some are simple every-day people who live down the street or across the town.    
Nonetheless, sometimes the list includes people who somehow push my buttons, who trigger me – because that offers an insight into my own limitations, prejudices, and untapped potential.    

How do you balance work and life?

I could tell you all about mindset work. Or routines. Or schedules and colorful sharpies. Or operating systems that have been automated.   

But the truth is that I happen to be one of those domestic witchy women who are just in their natural flow as householders, mothers, business owners,… And who has the most incredible kids and a true partner with whom it’s all just so easy. It all comes really naturally to me, but it hasn’t always. 

After suffering from severe burnout, I had to create a massive paradigm shift. First one was that there is no such thing as balance. It’s simply managing an order of priorities which is as fluid as it needs to be to accommodate everyone’s needs.

Then, it was opening to receiving support. Not just being able to ask for it, but to actually soften into receiving it without inducing an anxiety of OCD tendencies when things are not done exactly the way I might want them. Moreover – I had to learn to redefine support in the first place because I was raised to be strong and independent woman (because to not be one was quite literally fatal in my lineage).

And finally, it was turning to my own natural rhythm, and syncing that with Lunar Cycles and other celestial bodies that allowed me to organize my months, weeks, activities, and rest in the most optimal ways. By the way, this is something that my business partner Dianne Sykes, who’s a master physiologist and expert in all-things esoteric, has taught me. It’s a big part of the work we do in our Elite Mystique Agency.  

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Anything that involves movement, water, woods, soil. Dogs and horses. Music, pen and paper. And a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. And building Legos with my daughters. And sexy time with my husband.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Oh, it will be a really exciting time.

First, Dianne and I are launching our League of Extraordinary Women, a self-guided membership experience for cosmo-curious executive women who are looking to simplify complexities of modern-day living and leading. None of us women can do it alone...running a household, a career, and managing our own health. And really living to the fullest. It takes a village and we are building one. Through it, we provide Fitness, Nutrition, Lifestyle, Time Mastery, and Mental Brilliance support, guidance, teachings.

Pretty much everything you need to re-imagine health, happiness, and fun. We are calling in 1,000 women and if this intrigues you, come in and experience our pragmatic & esoteric approach to your advancement through our proprietary blend of biology, Western medicine, Eastern philosophy, Ancient yogic science and astrology with mindset, quantum strategy, business acumen. And mysticism. Our company is called Elite Mystique Agency for a reason.

Second, I am calling in a publishing company that will help me bring my book to the audiences around the world. “It Is Not That Simple” is a tale of 6 generations, 3 wars, and 1 woman’s cross-continental quest to reclaim her Primal Power. Timeless yet relevant especially now that we ran with the wolves; we ate, prayed and loved, we became untamed... 

Lastly, I am called back to Slovenia. A year-long experience tickles my heart and my daughters seem truly excited about it. Should it all work out, we’ll immerse ourselves in the culture, beautiful nature, and this nourishing energy surrounded by my family and friends. Plus, other European landmarks are then just a short ride away.

How can our readers connect with you?

The readers can find me on social media, on LinkedIn and Facebook. Also on our websites www.makeyourlifeyourlegacy.com and www.elitemystiqueagency.com