Meet Elise Lefebvre of ProSource of Arizona dba ProSource of Tempe, ProSource of Phoenix, and ProSource of Tucson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elise Lefebvre.

Elise, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up with parents (step and biological) who are hard workers, who always tried their best to do things perfect (whatever that meant to them), continuously learned and proved that you can do anything so long as you put in the energy.

When you are surrounded by these types of people day in and day out, you become a high achiever – typically because of the expectations that are put on you. Life wasn’t always easy but between households (mom’s vs dad’s), doing a good job was always the goal. I was a natural born leader – not in the sense that I wanted everyone to like me, more that I wanted to do the right thing, as did others, so people followed. Most often I did what I wanted, even if that went against the grain.

I was a typical American family girl with a twist. Coming from Japanese ancestry and having family devastated by internment camps in WWII, divorced parents, and family impacted by mental illness, I knew all too well what it meant to start over and rebuild. This has helped me throughout my life and ultimately my career. I’ve never been afraid to move on to the next thing or try something new, even if I knew nothing about it. I am always open to learning and curious about new things.

We are all the product of our environment and these experiences have helped me do great work, be dependable, and move on when I was no longer being fulfilled.

I graduated from Arizona State University in 2008, 2 years early, and went out into the workforce during the biggest housing bust and economic collapse in my life so far. It was not an ideal time to enter the work force; unemployment was as high as it had ever been, and people were losing their houses. I, on the other hand, had nothing to lose and time to explore. I went through a handful of jobs from Colorado to Nevada to Idaho, trying to find my niche and ultimately landed back in the Seattle area, where I was from, working for Whitepages.com. I had a marketing degree and a knack for getting $hit done. This led to me being recruited by Amazon where I worked for Amazon Media Group until my first baby was born.

As mentioned, I was always one to do what I wanted and often moved on when I was no longer being fulfilled. The full-time workaholic I had become transitioned into motherhood and part time work for a multi-family developer, outside my marketing scope, where I jumped right in; helping them secure their largest deal in company history. Still unsure of my niche.

The mental illness I mentioned before, trickled from generation to generation and ultimately got the best of me. Even though I was having fun where I was, the seasonal depression living in the Seattle drizzle, the postpartum after having a second child, and some pregnancy triggered health issues led me back to the Arizona sunshine.

Again, doing what I wanted, I opted to become a stay-at-home mom with 2 children under three. At the time this seemed like a great decision. I was going to be in the sun all day and at the pool/parks enjoying time with my kids. Turns out, being a SAHM is much different than that. And I’m here to admit, it wasn’t the life for me. I missed working, I missed the fulfillment that came from doing a good job and being around adults working toward a common goal. That’s where ProSource of Arizona came along.

My ProSource story is twofold – one, it’s my family’s business and two, it gave me the opportunity to do something new and balance my life back out.

My family took over the business in December of 2018 – I started part-time in February doing back-end things for my mom who was the CFO/HR Manager/Business Owner/Extraordinaire at the time. Running a small business means people where many hats, sometimes too many but you do what it takes to survive. I found myself in yet another industry I knew nothing about, not using my marketing degree, but my inquisitive nature led me to jump right in and get to work.

If you’ve ever worked for a family business, especially your own, you know how perceptions can be a difficult thing to overcome. I had never worked for my family before, they knew me but never worked with me, and we were all unsure of what to expect. Taking over a small business and coming on board with everyone knowing you’re the “owner’s daughter” can also be unnerving. I quickly learned as much as I could in a short time, identified areas of improvement and opted to propose a change in position.

My stepdad approved that change knowing I had zero management experience on my resume, only the industry experience I had learned over the first year I was there, and no direct sales experience, but he gave me the opportunity anyway. For that I am forever grateful.

For two years I worked as the Director of Sales and Marketing with the amazing people on our team (at all levels) to change the culture of our company; special thanks to The Energy Bus book by Jon Gordon. We hired many new faces and kept many that were on the ride before we arrived. We created an environment where people, like you and I, wanted to come to work so we can serve our community and ultimately bring dreams to life through interior design!

Last year I was promoted to President of the company, and I can say I am proud of what everyone on our FUN Bus has accomplished in the 4 years I’ve been on this ride. Together we learn, we try our best, we put in the work, and we have FUN! We’ve increased the number of contractors and Trade Professionals we’ve helped in our community and are just beginning to clean off the dirt and shine bright like the hidden gem we are!

My goal, until this is no longer fulfilling, is to leave an ELISE mark on everyone who experiences ProSource of Arizona both internally and externally. I want to Empower, Love, Inspire, Simplify and Elevate the people, the processes, the community and more. Empower our customers to know what they want to do is achievable; help create spaces they Love; Inspire them to keep designing; Simplify their projects; and Elevate everything to the next level! Turns out you don’t need a niche; you just need to be YOU!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road is what you make of it and how you choose to perceive it. From some eyes, it’s been a smooth road for me and from others it’s been a twisting and turning road near the edge of a cliff. No matter what, there is beauty in both perspectives.

My advice for anyone out there not understanding where you are in your journey right now, KEEP GOING and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. You don’t need all the pre-requisites, a niche, or a childhood dream to realize. The bumps along the way make you resilient; the blockades that pop up that require you to take detours are there for a reason, you’re being led down a better path; the road you’re on is the right one. Never give up, trust yourself, and know your choices determine your outcome. Always remember, everything happens in divine timing and you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

As you know, we’re big fans of ProSource of Arizona dba ProSource of Tempe, ProSource of Phoenix, and ProSource of Tucson. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
ProSource of Arizona (dba ProSource of Phoenix, ProSource of Tempe, and ProSource of Tucson) is a family-owned, small business with a strong passion for turning your home remodeling dreams into reality! We have proudly served the Phoenix and Tucson markets for over 25 years, and most don’t even know about us. We are a hidden gem and have been building our reputation by providing excellent quality flooring, cabinets, countertops + more alongside great customer service for any budget.

We cater to the Trade Professional (contractor, builder, installer, designer, realtor) and hope you will use our showroom as your own; it’s worth noting they are the nicest in the state! 😉 Come see for yourself! We are also open to the public to serve anybody who is in the market for interior finishes. We specialize in flooring, cabinets, countertops, backsplash, tubs, showers, sinks, outdoor + more and are a material supplier only. We partner with our members and can provide a list of contractors so you can interview and choose who is best for your specific installation needs. The decision is up to you!

In addition to our loyal customers, we attribute our continued success to our team of talented individuals. Their knowledge ensures that every customer receives the most helpful guidance and peace of mind, instead of costly surprises during/after the job is done. They will help you choose the right product for your project to create memorable spaces.

Our main goal is to provide materials to help bring your design dreams to life while creating spaces where memories are made – from the floor your child learns to walk on to the kitchen your family uses to make holiday meals! The tub your puppy gets its first bath to the cabinets that store the ingredients to make grandma a birthday cake!

No matter your project, we strive to delight our customers and look forward to the opportunity to serve you!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon Traction by Gino Wickman
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Guru Singh Podcast
Free Your Energy Podcast by Sylvester McNutt III
Straight Up Podcast with Trent Shelton

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prosourceaz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prosourceofarizona/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProSourceofArizona/

Image Credits
Annie Ellsworth – https://www.instagram.com/annieellsworthportraits/ Chad Ulum Photography – https://www.chadulam.com/