Meet Shaynna Pitman | Shaynna Pitman / Owner

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

Hi Shaynna, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I joke all the time that I was born into this field haha! I have a sister who has a developmental disability, and we grew up very close in age. Watching the experiences she had in various environments is definitely what drives me to impact the disability community the way I do. Elevated began with the hope of taking people with amazing hearts, apply impactful training, and create confident caregivers who love what they do!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Elevated Care is going to celebrate 2 years open this coming summer and sometimes I cannot even believe this is what I get to do for “work”. Coming into our two-year anniversary it’s so much easier now than it was, and there were some moments where I did not know if we were going to make it! Learning a new business and how to navigate the business side of things was probably the biggest challenge. I am a social worker by trade, so caring for people comes naturally to me – caring for a business was a whole other ball game. I will happily say though, that we have really developed a beautiful community of people who all have the same mission – and I am forever grateful for the struggles.

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?
Living in Flagstaff, this is easy. Go outside! haha No but really, there are so many cool hikes, snowboarding, parks, museums. I would start with some local breakfast at Toasted Owl, or Brandys, followed by some time out at Snowbowl and just admiring the San Fransico Peaks (if you haven’t seen them, they are breath taking) and then just time outside with friends. Maybe a hike, a bonfire, just spending time together.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Lisa! My amazing sister is where my whole journey in the disability community began. If I had to give her a word, I would say resilient. re·sil·ient (of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. If you met Lisa, you would have NO IDEA what this girl has been through, and somehow, she shines like a star every single day. Growing up with a sister with a developmental disability had its challenges, and those challenges really shaped who I am, and what I do. Without some of the experiences we had as a family, I am not sure who I would be today. So easy, I owe it all to Lisa.

Website: www.ecaz.org

Instagram: ElevatedCare AZ

Facebook: Elevated Care AZ