Human & Organizational Transformation

Power your organization by activating meaning + purpose

Work with us today
Employee Engagement
Manager/Leadership Training
Cultural Transformation
Purpose Driven Leadership Training

25+

YEARS OF EXPERIENCe

About Us

Hi, I'm Dr. Alise Cortez

Founder of Gusto, Now!

What does “gusto” mean to you? For us, it’s more than a word. Across the languages we work in -- English, Spanish, and Portuguese -- gusto conveys joy, passion, enthusiasm, and the drive to go the extra mile. It’s the essence of why we do this work.

At Gusto, Now!, we help leaders create workplaces where people don’t just work — they thrive.

In today’s fast, tech-saturated world, it’s easy for work to feel transactional or draining. We believe it can be different. When people feel valued and connected to purpose, they bring energy, creativity, and their very best selves.

The results speak for themselves:

  • Leaders who inspire
  • Teams that grow together
  • Innovation that delights customers
  • Retention that happens naturally because people love where they work

Our aim is simple yet profound: to “double down on humanity” and ignite the human spirit with meaning and purpose — so your workplace becomes a place people never want to leave.

Our services include employee engagement surveys, leadership and management development, culture transformation, and the Gusto, Now! Academy for ongoing learning.

See me in action here...  I’m obsessed with the world of work!

more about us
Engagement
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The Gallup Organization 2025 State of the Global Workforce report indicates that only 21% of the world’s employees are engaged in their work.

Profitability
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Companies with higher engaged employees are on average 23% more profitable.

Meaning
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By 2030, over 50% of the workforce will be Gen Y  and Gen Z insisting on meaningful work with purpose.

Gusto, Now!
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Working with Gusto, Now! will shift 60%+ of your workforce to being engaged.

Meaning

By 2030, over 50% of the workforce will be comprised of Generation Y (millennials) and Z (the youngest workers) who insist on meaningful work and being part of a purposeful organization.

Meaning and purpose are no longer “nice to have additives;” they’re essential if you want to remain relevant and grow. Our leadership and management training services will guide your team in that critical organizational transformation.

Engagement

You need an eager, engaged, committed, productive, and innovative workforce to persevere in service of your company’s purpose and mission. And yet:

The Gallup Organization 2025 State of the Global Workforce report indicates that only 21% of the world’s employees are engaged in their work. What a waste of potential when you consider that businesses in the top quartile of Gallup’s database are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable than those at the bottom quartile.

Consider the profound impact for your organization when Gusto, Now! helps shift to 60% or more of your workforce to being “turned on” and engaged. Organizations that cultivate an environment that fosters meaning and purpose within individual employees and facilitates connection with the organization’s mission register high levels of productivity and innovation.

Purpose

Purpose-led companies outperform their counterparts by a factor of up to 6 times, which is one reason investors opt to provide their resources to them – they earn a better return.

Inspired employees outperform their satisfied peers by a factor of 2.25 to 1.00. Want to learn how to make that happen for your company?

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Testimonials

Results We have helped create

Hear out what our clients say about us.
"The Grab Your Gusto session seamlessly inaugurated our board workshop, infusing it with the perfect blend of energy to captivate and inspire our volunteers. Dr. Cortez’s presentation was not only fresh and sophisticated but also thought-provoking and immediately applicable. She skillfully struck a harmonious balance between teaching and engaging the group, ensuring that maintaining our focus was never in question. Her impactful session left us with a revitalized passion for embracing our ultimate purpose each day!"
Lauren TrueloveVP of Administration at Unity Hunt, Inc. & President, Dallas HR
"I was enrolled in Alise’s leadership sessions and they were life changing. She helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses so you can better harness your skills and experience to be the best leader you can be. Through the sessions I was able to find deeper value and meaning in the work I do by further exploring my purpose and passion. Not only did I gain leadership skills to use in the office but my personal life benefited as well. Whether you are looking to develop your leadership skills, be re-motivated, find the connection between your work and passion, or improve communication skills, you will be able to do so with courses from Alise. The knowledge I gained from this experience will stick with me forever and I believe everyone would find value in sessions with Alise."
KailaSustainability Consultant
"Alise’s presentation was inspiring and uplifting. It was like “lifting the veil” to reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly but sprinkled with hope for the future of our Gen Y & Z in the workplace."
Genevieve NicholasOwner/Facilitator of Saddle Up Life Skills Sustainability Consultant
“I want to share my sincerest appreciation to Alise for her support and expertise. Her keynote address at our fall employee convocation at Laredo College was exceptional and helped us lay the foundation for change in culture on campus and years goal of creating a more student service centered environment. She helped many of us understand clearly that our attitude shapes what we say and what we do. The intentional understanding of our words and the impact they have on others, while always there, needed to be verbalized and brought to the forefront of everyone’s mind. On behalf of Laredo College, a big THANK YOU and hope to see you back on our campus soon.”
Dr. Minita RamirezPresident, Laredo College
"We recently had Dr. Alise Cortez at our Leadership Retreat and the experience far surpassed our expectations. Dr. Cortez’s knowledge and expertise really allowed our employees to learn more about not only themselves but also about those they work alongside or interact with on a daily basis. The information presented was truly enlightening and encouraged each of us to stretch ourselves to find our true purpose & passion. Our organization would highly recommend anyone looking for a motivational and educational speaker to consider Dr. Alise Cortez. She is well worth the investment and was an incredible way to kick off our retreat."
Leslie ChalmersDirector of Marketing, BeyondFaith Hospice
"Dr. Alise Cortez strength finding assessment session during Leadership Texas- Dallas, helped me to unlock a force in me that has been dormant. I am naturally an encourager and motivator of others, but I didn’t feel like I had the right cheerleaders in my life. I realized the evening of our session, that no one can encourage me, like my “true” self can. I studied what the assessment said, and Dr. Cortez masterfully guided us to embrace our strengths and to not look at them as weaknesses. Our strengths are what have gotten us this far, but often, we think we need to pivot because we haven’t truly embraced those things as strengths because they come so naturally. I harnessed the momentum from the session, and I did something bold and brave on my job and the results were successful. Thank you, Dr. Cortez, for reigniting my purpose and meaning!"
Veronica TuckerGroup Director for Consumer Operations PROJECTXYZ,Inc.

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Great Revitalization Best Practices assessment

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Do you know if your organization is equipped to operate in the purpose economy where team members crave meaningful work and the opportunity to grow into their full potential? Find out by downloading and completing the Great Revitalization Best Practices assessment to evaluate your organizational fitness for today’s times. Once you discover your score, let us know if we can help

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