Meet Julio G. Alvarez, founder of LET'S GO WITH JULIO, who's helping tech leaders thrive in the age of AI where he believes the human edge is heart.
Picture this: It's November 2022, and Julio Alvarez is sitting outside a home office in Napa Valley, watching history unfold. His longtime friend is about to launch a major AI product — one that would later be recognized as ushering in a new era of technology. There's no contract, no official title. Julio is simply there as what he calls a "trusted advisor and confidant."
"That experience reminded me that impact isn't about role or recognition, but more about the presence you bring," Julio reflects. "My ability to steady the energy of a high-stakes launch, to facilitate clear and honest conversations, was the very essence of coaching."
It was a moment that crystallized everything Julio had discovered about his calling since completing the iPEC Coach Training Program and earning his certifications. But the path to that Napa Valley moment? It wasn't exactly linear.
The Breakthrough: Recognizing a Lifelong Calling
Julio's biggest breakthrough during his iPEC journey happened midway through the program when two of his classmates hired him as their coach. "That moment hit me: Oh—this is what I've been doing my whole life," he says. "From fifth-grade safety patrol to peer mediation in middle school, to leading major teams in tech. I'd been coaching all along."
iPEC didn't just give him tools and language to name what he'd always been doing naturally. It also gave him something perhaps more valuable: the courage to see that his mess was his message.
"I had been fired four times in Silicon Valley," Julio shares openly. "For years, I thought that disqualified me. But iPEC helped me see those experiences weren't scars to hide. They were proof that I'd walked through the fire and could guide others through theirs."
The Work: Helping Leaders Take Off the Armor
Today, as a tech leader deeply involved in AI, Julio believes the next 10 years will feel unlike the last 100. That's exactly why he created LET'S GO WITH JULIO — his practice and platform where leaders come when they feel stuck.
His clients are executives in tech, founders, ERG leaders, and what he calls "identity-trailblazers" who on the outside look like they have it all together, but inside are exhausted, doubting themselves, or simply going through the motions.
"They're all trying to navigate what we call the 'post-AGI world'—this era where intelligence is being automated at scale, and the human edge is heart," Julio explains. "My role is to support them in removing their armor. That armor often shows up as perfectionism, people-pleasing, overwork, or control. Underneath it all is the same longing: to feel safe, loved, and enough."
The work he does with clients is about stepping out of fear and proving, and rediscovering courage and connection. As he puts it: "We don't need more people in their heads. We need more people in their hearts."
The ELI Assessment: A Leadership MRI
Central to Julio's distinctive approach is how he uses the ELI Assessment, which he describes as "the heartbeat of my work."
"I describe it as a leadership MRI," he says. "It shows you what's happening under the hood. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. That awareness is where the real coaching begins."
But here's where Julio gets creative. Working with so many tech leaders, he's developed what he calls the "Technology of Courage" framework around the ELI.
“The Technology of Courage is about making the spiritual practical," he explains. "I take complex concepts like energy and leadership and translate them into language that resonates with engineers and executives who might otherwise dismiss 'soft skills.' This approach reframes courage and emotional intelligence as essential leadership tech.”
When potential clients ask about the ELI, Julio's response is refreshingly direct: "This isn't a personality test. It's a mirror. It shows you how you're showing up—at your best and under stress. You can't change what you don't see. The ELI helps you see yourself clearly, sometimes for the first time."
Most clients feel relief when they hear that, he says. "They don't want to be labeled; they want to be seen."
What Makes His Approach Work
What makes Julio's coaching approach distinctive? He points to three key elements: lived experience, iPEC tools, and storytelling.
"I've been on every side of the corporate coin: hired, promoted, fired—multiple times over. I've been the one on the PIP, and I've been the one delivering it. That gives me empathy from both sides of the table."
He weaves in iPEC tools—the ELI Assessment, Energy Leadership®, and breakthrough laser coaching—because, as he puts it simply, "they work."
And then there's storytelling. Julio created a 5-part audio docu-series called Braving Big Tech that tells the raw truth of being hired and fired, featuring interviews with his former managers, his mom, and even his husband. "When clients hear me share my mess, they feel permission to share theirs. Vulnerability opens the door for both of us."
The response to his vulnerability has been profound. "Every time I've shared a piece of my story—on my podcast, on LinkedIn, in a session—people respond with: 'me too,'" he reflects. "That reminder keeps me going: we're not alone in this work."
The Vision: Unblocking 1 Million Leaders by 2030
Julio's long-term perspective is embodied in his audacious goal: "Unblocking 1M leaders by 2030."
"Is it ambitious? Absolutely. Maybe even impossible," he acknowledges. "But it gives me a North Star. The best companies set bold visions knowing they'll at least get part of the way there. Coaches can do the same. A long-term vision gives meaning to the everyday steps."
For Julio, success comes down to a simple equation: "Success = service + significance. Serve people powerfully, connect to the deeper meaning of what you're doing, and the business will follow."
Advice for Fellow Grads: Don't Wait to Feel Ready
When it comes to advice for newer iPEC grads still finding their footing, Julio's message is clear:
"Don't wait until you feel 'ready.' You'll never feel ready. Clients don't want perfect coaches — they want real humans who can sit with them in the mess and still hold hope."
His guidance is both practical and inspiring: "Share your story, even the parts you think are 'too much.' That's where trust lives. We're entering an era where the rigid, overly-scripted ways of working don't hold up anymore. The human differentiator is courage, presence, and heart. Be curious. Try things. Learn by doing."
Perhaps most importantly, he reminds fellow coaches that "clients can sense desperation. If you're only focused on closing a deal or proving yourself, they'll feel it immediately. Real success comes from service."
