Meet Elaine Martinez | CEO for DrivvUP | Foodie Enthusiast | Life Acts Contributor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elaine Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elaine, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
As a child, I witnessed my parents’ amazing work ethic, industrious nature, strength, and compassion for people. Dad is a Vietnam war veteran, who served in the US Navy for 21 years and now serves as a minister to the community for over 33 years. Until this day, he cooks meals for non-profit agency volunteers almost every day and helps leads an organization that feeds thousands every month. Mom was a kindergarten schoolteacher in Guam, but as soon as they immigrated to the USA and became citizens, she had to start her education and work training all over again. She would do everything to help support the family along with Dad. She worked at a tuna fish factory, babysat, sold Avon and Tupperware, assembled electronics, did housekeeping, and so much more. She managed her work schedules around Dad’s military service and deployment, while also raising her (3) daughters, at the time. With all that they worked hard for and also saved, they didn’t hesitate to share from our cabinets and closets to give to those in need. Quality family time was anytime we could spend together. Something as simple as .25 cent hamburger night, was a treat. I didn’t know much about dining in restaurants. My sisters and I typically wore second-hand or home-sewn clothes, that mom would squeeze time to make, in between shifts. I was bullied for not wearing the latest mall-branded clothes. I remember borrowing some of Dad’s vintage bell-bottom pants to try to fit in with the trends. Through this, Dad and Mom taught me resourcefulness and to appreciate others with love.

With this love and appreciation for the life God blessed them with, Dad and Mom, became ministers. They became active community advocates, helping thousands of people facing food insecurity through the San Diego Food Bank and other generous company donors, who donated products. Then, while I was a teen, my mom passed away and I became heartbroken and struggled for years. When I met Gabriel, my gem of a husband-to-be, he helped rescue me and inspired me to stay strong. He has been my greatest motivator in building our business, whose mission is to not only help other companies grow but ultimately to help those in need. He and I built a strong family foundation with our (3) children. Now, we volunteer with and support the community outreach ministry with our dad. The community has come to affectionately refer to him as “Papa Ed”.

My eldest sister, Emlyn, and my brother-in-law, Rocky, continue leading the legacy of church ministry at Life Christian Center after mom passed away. My other sister Elizabeth, resigned from her FBI career to dedicate her life to being the Life Acts community outreach director volunteer, that serves over 6,000+ a month. My youngest sister, Ezraley, works with County Health and Human Services and volunteers all her free time, leading teams with the same organization.

I am surrounded by a family of beautiful souls who inspire me daily. I am humbled by our upbringing and am striving for success, so that the company that I run, can give back to the community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve been in the recruitment industry for over 18 years and have passionately worked with many companies, from startups to billion-dollar brands. I have identified their pain points and delivered successful strategies, to transform their talent acquisition process. I was integral in scaling a start-up company, by successfully hiring for all departments, from senior leadership to support. This led to tripling the sales organization on a global scale. During my tenure, the company started with $50 million in revenue and is now beyond $140 million. They are currently going to IPO; from private to public. Last year, alongside my husband, we established a firm called DrivvUP. We fervently help other companies accelerate in growth. This is done by scaling all departments by incorporating top recruitment sourcing strategies, to provide the best ROI. Companies have been able to save half a million in fees by not having to use staffing agencies. We’ve been able to increase candidate engagement by 45% and offer a wonderful onboarding experience, which in turn increases company ratings.

The journey to get to this point has had its share of challenges. As a Filipino woman in leadership, I was not always perceived as a first-choice contender. I remember being 2nd place to a male, with 30% more in salary, for the same duties I was tasked with. They hired me with 30% less in salary and I was still given more responsibilities. Within the first couple of months, the company admittedly expressed that I was able to deliver more than they imagined. They ended up terminating the other individual, due to lack of performance and in turn, promoted me.

With these types of experiences, I worked ardently to shine and become an undeniable asset. I had to work longer hours and accept more responsibilities to prove my worth. I attribute my success to the work ethic and resilience my parents highlighted as valuable traits.

I am proud to say that as our firm grows, we can employ more people. With my earnings, I can give more to the community. Our donations have been able to assist many in need, including single-parent families, in limited-income neighborhoods. One family had tragically lost a parent to murder. We’ve also been able to secure careers for individuals, from underrepresented groups. We trained them with best interview practices, created or revamped their resumes, and built their professional interview attire wardrobe. It is my goal to promote and drive-up diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It is my mission to offer resources to those who would otherwise, not have certain doors of opportunity opened for them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This would be an ideal day for my best friend and I to experience together.

For the first part of the day, we’d take a trip to the La Mesa shopping strip near Spring Street, where we could go thrift store hopping. We’d also purchase from and support many small business-owned stores along that street.

For lunch, we’d visit Buona Forchetta, a South Park restaurant, owned and run by Italians. The Nonna (grandmother of the owners) would visit our tables and compliment us in her language. We’d order their fresh handmade pasta, and the best gluten-free pizza.

Then, we’d burn off the calories, by walking through the multi-million-dollar Civita Park in Mission Valley. It has various levels with gardens, play areas, ping pong tables, basketball courts, an interactive water fountain, and a long staircase leading up to a tunnel that is completely painted up to the ceiling, by a local artist. In the middle of this tunnel, my best friend would sing lead, while I’d harmonize to a song, and we’d enjoy the best acoustics.

For dinner, I’d take her to Tacos el Gordo, where they have some of the best tacos in the nation. They have over 5,000 positive Yelp reviews. Sometimes it would take 30-60 minutes to get through the line, but the food experience is always worth the wait. For dessert, we would visit Hammonds in North Park where we’d enjoy an ice cream flight. I’d recommend my favorite lychee flavor for one of the selections. If we had any energy left, we’d catch a late movie at the Southbay drive-in theater.

If I had to create an itinerary for a week, we’d indulge in an all-out foodie experience!

Other honorable mentions include:

-Cannonball (a rooftop sushi spot right in front of the beach

-Sea180 (a seafood restaurant also surrounded by the beach)

-Mr. A’s (rooftop steakhouse dining experience overlooking downtown. We could see the planes overhead coming into the San Diego airport)

-Fogo de Chao (All you can eat Brazilian steakhouse, where the waiters circle around the tables, with huge cuts of grilled meats for us to select from)

There is so much more to share, but there would only be so much room left in our bellies!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shout-out to my war veteran, widower Dad, Edilberto Samala, and dedicate this to my late Mom, Rosario Samala. My sister, Elizabeth Prado, volunteers as the director of the community outreach organization, as noted before. To my exceptional husband, Gabriel Martinez, whose traits are very rare. He ALWAYS thinks of others first and commits to bringing joy to people of all ages. He has continuously lifted my spirits whenever I have fallen and is my biggest cheerleader! His unconditional love never ceases to amaze me.

Website: www.drivvup.com

Image Credits
Participants within these photos have given permission to use for media. Photos include: -Recipients of food donations provided by the non-profit that my parents have originally founded. -Father and awards/recognition by the city as a community champion! -My family and I, husband and I – husband volunteers with the organization every other day! Our entire family’s vision is to help those in need. -Me delivering a speech at the Cork and Craft 2022 Gala/Fundraiser sharing the struggle before success. Most importantly, our family’s 33-year partnership with the San Diego Food Bank