We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Wendy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Wendy , appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

“I built LionsPride to challenge who gets to support power and how.”

The idea for LionsPride Assistant began with a moment of truth. After more than a decade in public education, serving as Special Assistant to Dr. Lindsa McIntyre and helping turn around some of Boston’s most challenged schools, I left the classroom ready to bring my skills to the private sector. My background blended strategic operations, leadership, communications, and care for people under pressure.

But when I applied for executive assistant roles, I was repeatedly overlooked. Despite my qualifications, I was told I did not fit the profile. That experience exposed a deep imbalance in who gets access to elite executive support roles, and it lit a fire in me.

So I hired myself.

I built what I couldn’t find: a platform where sharp, mission-driven professionals could be recognized for their talent, rather than being reduced to their résumés. I knew the work mattered because I had lived the problem, and the logic was clear. Leadership thrives when it is supported by people who bring depth, diversity, and emotional intelligence to the table.

LionsPride was born to widen that gate. We built a new entry point into executive support, one grounded in integrity, representation, and tenacity. Inside our Pride, we value education and lived experience as much as traditional credentials. We laid the groundwork for a development model that centers purpose, integrity, and excellence.

Today, LionsPride supports leaders with high-level executive operations, strategic partnerships, and the cultural fluency needed to run values-aligned, high-performing teams. What began as a bold move on a cold January morning in 2014 has grown into a mission-driven company transforming how executive support is defined, delivered, and valued.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am Wendy Hernández, CEO and Founder of LionsPride Assistant, a company built for leaders who don’t do average. My background in education taught me that great leadership is built through clarity, accountability, and agile support. That belief still guides everything we do at LionsPride.

We provide elite, customized virtual executive support to founders, executives, and creative leaders who expect a partner, not a task runner. Our assistants think strategically, anticipate needs, and operate with cultural fluency that strengthens how leaders work and make decisions.

Through The LionsPride Way, our proprietary training framework, every assistant receives personalized coaching and the tools to grow into a world-class executive strategic partner. Our mission is to expand access to executive support as a real, respected pathway for talented professionals who may not have traditional corporate networks but absolutely have the skills and the drive.

At LionsPride, we invite you to learn the craft, refine your excellence, and step into the opportunities this bootcamp-style experience will unlock. After four years in our ecosystem, our assistants rise with mastery, confidence, and a versatility that no single company or leader can offer on their own.

Our assistants often support multiple leaders across different industries, tools, and operating styles. That level of stretch is intentional. It sharpens instincts, strengthens adaptability, and prepares them to excel in any environment.

There is no one like us in this field because we built a model from the ground up. We are redefining how modern executive support operates, blending operational strategy with cultural intelligence. At LionsPride, we go beyond placement and provide continuous development, a values-aligned community, and rigorous standards that keep assistants evolving at the pace of modern leadership. We are building the next generation of executive support professionals and elevating the expectations of the entire field.

I am most proud that LionsPride has become both a brand and a movement. Our work is not transactional. It is transformational. It is grounded in purpose, powered by integrity, and guided by the belief that talent is often hidden like a diamond in the rough.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience is me personified. For me, resilience began in defiance. When I spoke up about abuse in my family, I was placed in foster care. It was painful, but it became the turning point of my life.

Speaking up cost me everything familiar, yet it opened a door I did not know existed, one that held the possibility of change. From that moment, I promised myself I would never accept the status quo or shrink to fit it.

I became the first in my family to graduate high school, earn an academic scholarship, complete a master’s degree, and buy a home. Yet even after shattering every ceiling they built for me, the world still tried to send me the same message — be grateful and remember your place.

At twenty-three, I stood up against workplace retaliation. That moment changed everything. It was the day I learned to roar. Since then, I have continued to advocate for myself and others who have been underestimated, and each battle has strengthened my belief in what happens when a Black Sheep learns that she’s a diamond.

Those experiences taught me that resilience is not just endurance. It is reinvention. It is the willingness to rebuild yourself and your path when doors close. That same resilience became the foundation of LionsPride Assistant. When I was overlooked for executive assistant roles, I said, “Okay, watch me work,” and built the opportunity myself.

Resilience now lives in how I lead. It shows up in how I train my team, how I advocate for underrepresented talent, and how I run a company that turns rejection into direction. For me, resilience is not quiet survival. It is the courage to speak, to rebuild, and to lead, even when your voice shakes.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My reputation in this industry was built on integrity, alignment, and follow-through. I am honest to a fault, and I am unapologetic about my values. All money is not good money. From the beginning, I decided that LionsPride would never sacrifice integrity for income.

I have turned down clients and even ended contracts when I discovered their values did not align with ours. Early in my business, I learned that my only client at the time was engaging in practices that did not reflect the integrity I wanted my brand to stand for. I let them go and was left with no clients. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, but also a defining one. I realized that my reputation would not be built by status, but by the principles I refused to compromise.

My clients must value diversity as much as I do. I have declined opportunities because they did not. When I take on a partnership, I want to know that the organization is serious about representation, inclusion, and equity. Anything less is a misalignment.

Integrity travels fast. Word of mouth from clients who trust my principles has built LionsPride’s reputation far more than marketing ever could. People know that when they work with us, they are getting honesty, excellence, and alignment. That clarity has made all the difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lionsprideassistant.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lionsprideassistant
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lionsprideassistant
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lionsprideassistant/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lionsprideassistant
• Other: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyhernandez
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