TAHOE CITY, Calif – When Tahoe City resident Deirdre Davi hit what she considers the second half of her life, she knew she wanted that half to be more fulfilling than first – but there was very little script for that second half. She had the phrase and the motto, but didn’t quite know what to do with it.
As a freeride snowboarder for 35 years – including traveling around with her son and other freeride parents for events – she knew she wanted to stay in the freeride community and bring the vibe and that way of living to life. Then, once she started exploring the science of how to maintain body functionality and health hacking, she became fully immersed in all things it could do for the body, mind and spirit. That’s where Elivate, an intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) approach to wellness recovery was born.
“The reason I chose IVs is a funny one, but two-fold,” said Founder and CEO Davi. “All the ER docs at Burning Man do IVs on themselves and are always feeling better than everyone else, plus there were parents in freeride that were nurses and starting to retire. One of the four partners is a head nurse and still has kids in freeride – she was one of the keys.”
In all, there are about 24 nurses that have signed up to administer shots and IVs – many from Tahoe Forest Health and mostly as a side hustle with the ability to pick when and where they want to work. While not all of them are completely going through the process yet, Davi says there are five to six that are really involved.
In all, there are four quick shot fuel formulas and seven IV formulas to choose from – all of which are designed to improve health in areas like increased energy, immunity, clear and detox pathways, tissue building and repair, suppress fatigue, and help reduce the effects of stress.
While the quick shot option only takes about thirty seconds, the time differs on the IVs based on the size of the saline bag solutions. The 250ml takes about twenty minutes, the 500ml (which is about the average size of a normal IV) takes about forty minutes, and the 1000ml lasts about one hour. The large option is typically only offered in-home – mainly because people can become faint so they like them to be able eat and fully relax before administering.
As far as the results, Davi says there are usually three different types.
“There’s the instant. The other end is they don’t feel much in the first 24 hours, just that they feel kind of good. Then the middle is they can see energy spikes and track over a few days.”
Davi says that the results are not necessarily due to a different formula, but more body chemistry. The base formula of the solution consists of B complex vitamins, magnesium and calcium, and from there the other options are dialed in.
“Magnesium has interesting calming and focusing effects,” adds Davi. “So the most common reaction on the first day is to feel energized, calm, focused, clear headed, and stress free. Or, as one person put it: I just felt like a better version of myself.”
If you’re one who is afraid of needles, you’re not alone. Davi estimates that about half of the people they talk to are, but stresses that the process isn’t painful.
“The nurses do it all day, every day – it’s their job. They have to do it right.”
Even though customers have the option to have the team administer the shots in-home, most of the action is happening at their IV Igloo – a camper they park at Olympic Bike and Ski for convenience to Palisades guests over the winter. The camper can fit up to four to five guests, including two nurses, and Davi explains the environment as very chill and relaxed.
“It’s really visible on the way in and out and we wanted to do a test season,” said Davi. “We’ve taken it to Truckee for events and will be at the upcoming World Cup event at Palisades. We want to keep it mobile – we need it up here more than ever.”
Davi also added that she’s working with Palisades to possibly go permanently in the village, but she also recognizes the need for the service at other locations, such as Northstar and Martis Camp, and she’s working on being a preferred vendor partner with other local lodging and residential housing clubhouses.
For now, the plan is to continue hustling out at Palisades and working other events – something that has already served them well with the locals and pros out on the mountain. Davi says she’s gotten big support from people like Jonny Moseley and Sherry McConkey and adds that that support has been the key to their initial success.
And while Elivate is thriving early from the support of locals, that support is also flowing back to the locals in a variety of different ways, including donating a percentage of the profits to both the Scotty Lapp & Shane McConkey Foundations. In addition to those, Elivate has a referral program that offers five dollars for every referral and one hundred dollars every month to the top referrer.
“One of the things we really wanted to do was find a way to put money back into the local community. It’s been kind of a blessing in disguise that the first couple months have been all locals … we can’t just run on tourists.”
For more information about Elivate, visit them online at getelivated.com or reach them by phone at 530-426-2610.
